Ursula von der Leyen today pledged € 700 million to GPE to help transform education systems
The President of the European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen today, i.e., Thursday, June 10, 2021, pledged € 700 million to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to help transform education systems, impacting 1 billion girls and boys, in upto 90 countries and territories.
Launched in 2002, the GPE is a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning. GPE brings together developing countries, donors, international organizations, civil society, teacher organizations, the private sector and foundations.
The GPE provides financial support to low-income and lower-middle-income countries, especially those with high numbers of out-of-school children and significant gender disparities, including countries affected by crisis and fragility. Most funding is allocated to Sub-Saharan Africa. The E.U. and its Member States together account for more than half of all contributions to the GPE.
Speaking on the occasion, Ursula said, “I am proud we will be supporting the Global Partnership for Education with €700 million for the period 2021-2027 to help transform education systems around the world. Supporting education, in particular for girls and women is key to give the young generation good prospects in life.”
Taking it to twitter, Ursula tweeted,
I welcome the @G7’s emphasis on education, especially targets for girls in schools.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 10, 2021
I am glad to announce that the @EU_Commission will contribute €700 million over the next 7 years to @GPforEducation.
The Official twitter handle of GPE tweeted,
Every change starts with a powerful act.
— Global Partnership for Education (@GPforEducation) June 10, 2021
The @EU_Commission has raised their hand for GPE, helping transform education for children around the world.
Thank you @vonderleyen @JuttaUrpilainen !#RaiseYourHand #FundEducation https://t.co/ufbC1X4ypS pic.twitter.com/tiQt26AMWB
Sharing her thoughts, the European Union (E.U.) Commissioner for International Partnerships – Jutta Urpilainen said, “Today, with our increased commitment of €100 million per year to the GPE, we will ensure sustainable and long-term investment in education systems to address the education needs of millions of children and young people worldwide during the greatest learning disruption in history.”
Jutta Urpilainen tweeted,
Education is the foundation of #equality and a key to a better future for our #youth.
— Jutta Urpilainen (@JuttaUrpilainen) June 10, 2021
Acts must follow words. As just announced by @vonderleyen, @EU_Commission is increasing its funding to @GPforEducation to €100M per year for the next 7 years.
Even before the Coronavirus (COVID-19) devastated the world, there was a learning crisis, with an estimated 617 million children between the ages of 6–14 worldwide unable to achieve minimum proficiency levels in reading. The adolescents also lacked skills needed for the 21st century. The COVID-19 reversed much of recent progress made in improving the access to education. Furthermore, it aggravated the learning crisis with huge increases in inequalities, digital divide, psychological and mental issues.
The pandemic also affected the funding required to provide quality education to all by 2030. Reopening of schools with adequate safety measures will require huge funds. Apart from this, the E.U. supports education in approximately 100 countries through various partnerships worldwide. The E.U. has been working with partner countries to develop COVID-19 Response Plans and help nations support the education system.
From the next financing period, E.U. will increase its investments in education from 7% to atleast 10%. The additional funds will be used to recruit new teachers, train and motivate them.
