As education fund launches $5B replenishment, a look at the numbers

On Tuesday, Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sat down with Jakaya Kikwete, former Tanzanian president and current chair of the World Bank-hosted Global Partnership for Education, to discuss cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development and their effect on schooling for children around the world. During the chat, they got into some facts and figures: $5 billion: That’s the replenishment amount GPE sought last time it fundraised in 2021, and it’s seeking the same amount now for its latest replenishment — which will be cohosted by Italy and Nigeria, Kikwete revealed during the Devex event. 91: The number of countries Kikwete said GPE works in around the world to strengthen national education systems, support the 270 million children globally who are out of school, and ensure priorities such as equal access to schooling for both boys and girls. “In the countries that we have partnerships with, we have to see that there is equal access. If they don't care about equal access,” Kikwete said, “then we have a problem with those countries.” 40 million: The scale of the global teacher shortage that Kikwete said GPE is trying to address. He said the institution is working with countries to invest in training new teachers. “By 2040, there will be 900 million children who are leaving school,” he said, “So our interest for us now is how to work with the countries and leverage modern science and technology in teaching so that we can also equip the children with the skills that are needed — talking of AI, talking of digital space. We know there is a lot that needs to be done to get there.” 20%: That’s the proportion of national budgets GPE is pushing to be spent on education in the countries it works with. “We are seeing a lot of support [for] that one,” he said, “a lot of movement, a lot of implementation towards that.”