A new report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has shown a significant drop in global aid to education causes since 2010.
More than 250 million children worldwide lack basic education skills and figures state that global aid to education has fallen to a mere 10%. UNESCO state that global aid overall has only dropped by 1% over the same period- suggesting deliberate changes in worldwide investments.
The report precedes the Global Partnership for Education’s Replenishment Pledging Conference later this month, where global donors are invited to help raise $3.5 billion dollars for education in impoverished or developing areas.
In a statement released with the report, Julia Gillard, board chair of the Global Partnership for Education said “Education is a long-term investment -– not an expense” – “We owe it to the children of the world; particularly the poorest and most marginalized, that both international donors and developing country governments step up and commit more funding to education”.
The report concludes that global aid to education global was increasing at a promising rate between 2002 and 2010. However figures have since reversed and UNESCO are urging donors to reconsider.
“This paper serves as a wake-up call for donors. Aid to education is decreasing at a time when 57 million children are denied their right to, almost half of whom are expected never to enter a classroom.
The finance gap for basic education has increased by US$10 billion over the last three years, primarily because aid donors have not kept their promises. The new aid data presented in this paper show that this year, aid donors are still not meeting their commitments.
If we do not get it right by 2015, how can we get it right after that date, and get not just all children but also all adolescents into school? The energies being rallied to consider what plans and targets should be set for the future of our children must ensure sufficient financing to achieve them. This is why we are calling for the post-2015 goals to include a specific target for financing by aid donors. Otherwise, children will continue to pay the price.”
– UNESCO, Education for All Global Monitoring Report
