Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
Senegal and France have been announced as co-host of a conference focusing on education financing.
The event is organised by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and will take place on February 8, 2018 in Dakar, Senegal.
Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Emmanuel Macron of France, at a high-level event on education financing held at the United Nations, which was attended by Secretary General, Mr António Guterres, several heads of state and leaders on global education, announced their decision to co-host the programme.
“The Global Partnership for Education has made substantial investments in education helping to get 72 million more children into primary school since 2002, including in Senegal,” President Macky Sall said. “We are honoured to host the next GPE Financing Conference in Dakar and look forward to continuing our close partnership with GPE.”
This is the first time a donor and developing country co-host a GPE financing conference, symbolizing the spirit of true partnership, which is the essence of GPE.
President Macron of France stressed that one of his top priorities is to invest in education.
“I call on the international community to join us in February 2018 in Dakar for the Global Partnership for Education Financing Conference, which France will co-host with Senegal,” Mr Macron said.
“The financing conference of the Global Partnership for Education is an opportunity for a much needed step change, allowing donors and developing countries to show their financial commitment to education,” said Julia Gillard, GPE Board Chair. “Senegal and France jointly hosting the GPE financing conference demonstrates the determination of both governments to help GPE expand its support for strong and sustainable education systems in developing countries.”
The event in Dakar will bring together donor and developing country governments, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, civil society and international organizations to announce commitments to support education in developing countries.
“This is an exciting and pivotal moment for GPE and for global education,” said Alice Albright, GPE Chief Executive Officer. “This financing conference will put GPE on track to become a US$2 billion-a-year operation by 2020. At that level, GPE can have a far greater impact on providing better quality education to the world’s children.”
GPE’s financing conference seeks to raise $3.1 billion for 2018 through 2020 to support the education of 870 million children in 89 developing countries that are home to 78% of the world’s out-of-school population.
Currently, 264 million children and youth around the world are not in school and six out of 10 children and youth, a total of 617 million, are in school but not learning at the level they need to break the bonds of poverty, poor health and social disadvantage.
Though the share of overseas development aid to education has declined over the last six years, leaders around the world are now recognizing the urgency of turning that trend around.
France has been a donor to GPE since 2005. With GPE support since 2006, Senegal has shown great progress raising its investment in education as a share of domestic spending to 24 percent.
