NORRAG Special Issue 05
The virtual launch of NORRAG Special Issue (NSI) 05 on Domestic Financing: Tax and Education took place on 23 November 2020. In this NSI, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, young academics, activists, and advocates examine the need to increase the size of public spending, and the share that is dedicated to education. The NSI 05 launch event was attended by 107 participants.
NSI 05 is a unique collection of 25 articles exploring different ways in which education and tax justice are related. It comprises of articles from Uganda, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Brazil. During the event, the guest editor of the NSI 05, David Archer from ActionAid and six authors of articles in NSI 05 highlighted some of the global and national experiences and perspectives in NSI 05 and gave participants the opportunity to ask questions.
The NORRAG Special Issue 05 is made up of 6 sections that showcase global perspectives as well as country case studies which expand the debate on tax justice and domestic financing for quality, inclusive, and equitable education for all. These sections include:
•Part one refers to global perspectives on tax and education;
•Part two highlights progressive and regressive national tax reforms with specific case studies from Ghana, India, and Pakistan;
•Part three talks about local level activism on tax and education;
•Part four calls for global reforms: Corporations and Philanthropy;
•Part five focuses on tax and the privatisation of Education taking into consideration the three case studies from the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Uganda; and
•Part six defines social movements and struggles on Education and Tax
NSI 05 complements existing EI and partners Education Financing Toolkit which is structured around increasing 4 Ss - increasing the share of the budget to education, increasing overall size of government budgets, increasing the sensitivity of the budget to policy priorities, and increasing the scrutiny of the budget.
Speaking during the launch of NORRAG Special Issue 05, EI Chief Regional Coordinator for Africa, Dennis Sinyolo, acknowledged David Archer and all colleagues who dedicated their time to this issue. He said that Africa and the whole world must protect education budgets to ensure quality and inclusion in public education. He then highlighted that any cuts in the budget affect teachers’ salaries and that more investment is needed to get girls, children with disabilities, refugees, and other marginalized groups back to school.
Education International Africa Region commends the contents of NSI 05 to member organisations, governments, and partners. To read the NORRAG Special Issue 05, click here.