- Minister for Development signs a new Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the US to strengthen work supporting the
most marginalised children into basic education
- The MoU will particularly target girls, whose education is
disproportionately affected by conflict and other crises such as
extreme weather
- The announcement comes as finishes a two-day visit
to Washington DC including meetings with USAID Administrator
Samantha Power, World Bank President David Malpass, IMF
Managing Director , IFC Managing
Director Makhtar Diop and Congressional colleagues
Minister for Development, , has signed an agreement
with the US today (Friday 3 February) to help children around the
world secure twelve years of quality education.
The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will particularly
support girls, who are disproportionately affected by
marginalisation, conflict and crisis, including extreme weather
events such as flooding and drought.
The agreement will create a coalition of donors and partner
countries to champion core education such as basic literacy and
numeracy, help education systems deal with emergencies, and
provide alternative education spaces where children can continue
their education, safe from violence.
It will also support comprehensive education for girls on
reproductive health, sexuality and relationships, and help
address gender-based violence in and out of schools.
Minister for Development said:
Twelve years of quality education, particularly for girls, is one
of the best ways to tackle the problems facing the world today,
such as poverty, climate change and inequality. But the impact of
Covid-19 on education systems has been catastrophic. This
generation of students are at risk of losing so much in lifetime
earnings as a result of school closures.
I am delighted to sign this new agreement allowing the UK and US
to work eve more closely together to support children’s education
around the world. The global community must work together, as
never before, to support the recovery of education systems.
Both countries will build on the already close collaboration
between them in this area, by sharing further expertise on
staffing, technologies and resources to help children on the
ground.
Girls are two and a half times more likely than boys to drop out
of school when affected by conflict or crises, and if current
trends continue, climate change will have been a factor in
preventing over 12 million girls completing their education by
2025.
The announcement comes as finishes a two-day visit to
Washington DC for meetings with USAID Administrator Samantha
Power and Congressional colleagues.
The Minister also met World Bank President David Malpass, IMF
Managing Director , and IFC Managing
Director Makhtar Diop to discuss how to ensure the international
system is fit for purpose to support developing and vulnerable
countries through multiple crises.
Notes to editors:
- Current estimates show that 70% of children in low- and
middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a
simple text by age ten.
- It is estimated that three-quarters of primary age children
who may never set foot in school are girls.