GPE’s global education agenda
Funding is an extremely critical area for the GPE’s global education agenda. The education sector has been struggling to attract substantial funding, while other multilateral health programs have attracted many times more. In December 2013, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria raised $12 billion. In the same period, the Global Campaign for Education raised $9.2 billion. The GPE must increase funding for education, and create a model that can attract additional funding to its programs.
A recent FTI evaluation of GPE’s global education agenda found a number of issues to be problematic. The financing gap model was found to be ineffective and the endorsement of sector plans did not achieve the desired catalytic effect. Despite its many successes, the GPE’s global education agenda remains small and lacks teeth, and the resurgence of international aid is undermining its effectiveness. However, the GPE’s board is composed of two partner countries, one donor, and one CSO. This means that it needs to grow to meet the needs of poor countries.
Challenges
One of the major issues that affects the quality of education worldwide is a lack of learning materials. While primary education budgets have increased in most regions over the past two decades, the quality of education in developing countries remains low, with low quality teaching and textbooks, poor facilities, and lack of community involvement. In addition to poor quality education, high dropout rates have been linked to a lack of resources. To tackle this issue, the next U.S. administration should convene a high-level White House conference.
Many factors contribute to the low educational levels in many countries, including poverty. For example, child labor and poverty are significant barriers. Many children from poor backgrounds must leave school to earn money to provide for their families. Lack of resources in many countries also hampers universal primary education. Emerging countries lack the funds to build schools, provide schooling materials, and recruit teachers. Consequently, many children in underdeveloped countries are left out of schooling altogether.
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Progress made so far
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 263 million children are not enrolled in school globally. These children are disproportionately from LDC and LMIC countries. And by 2030, there will be an estimated 825 million young people who do not have the basic skills needed to compete for a job. Lack of investment in education is one of the main causes of instability and economic growth, as well as contributing to a global skill gap.
To address the global need for better education, the next U.S. administration should convene a high-level conference of world leaders to discuss education and learning issues. This is crucial to achieving the ambitious goals set for education and development in the next decade. The United States and the world must continue to strengthen bilateral aid to improve education around the world. We must encourage non-state actors to expand their role as part of the U.S. foreign assistance portfolio and to ensure non-discrimination and access for all. We must also overcome the ideological divide on non-state actors and their role in education.
Future prospects
IESALC, the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, has compiled a report on future prospects for higher education. The report includes four key messages for bettering the future of education in all areas: wellbeing, sustainability, human rights, and interculturality. The report emphasizes the need for educators to create a learning environment that is supportive of these principles. It is crucial for education to be interconnected with other levels of education to foster social and cultural understanding.
In the future, routine tasks will be performed by machines, so workers will be valued for their creativity, intuition, and communication skills. Universities compete for funding by being at the top of scientific breakthroughs. Fee-paying students prefer universities with high research rankings. Meanwhile, educators must adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by making education more accessible, affordable, and personalized. In this way, edtech service providers are introducing technology-based solutions for educational institutions.
