The world's biggest players in education are sending an urgent message to the leaders of the G20, meeting July 7-8 in Hamburg, Germany: a better future for all demands a bold increase in education financing.
“Unless we urgently and significantly increase education financing now, we will not come close to achieving inclusive and equitable free quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030,” states a letter signed jointly by 16 civil society organisations, including Education International (EI), addressed at the heads of state of the G20.
Educators and education activists are calling upon the leaders of the world’s major economies to “make a step-change in financing education in 2017, ensuring resources are utilized to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and equitability of public education systems.” The signatories remind the G20 governments to be ambitious in their funding of education both at home and in developing countries, including their commitment in the final communiqué that will be adopted. The suggested text states that “We note with appreciation the UN Secretary General´s proposal to establish an International Finance Facility for Education. We look forward to following-up and examining further in detail under Argentina's presidency. Any new facility must be completely aligned with existing structures, including a fully funded Global Partnership for Education replenishment and Education Cannot Wait.”
“2017 is the time to prioritize education financing and to put the world on track to deliver on SDG4,” the statement concludes.