Calls to prioritize access to education in some of the world’s most under-resourced and crisis-affected countries were at an all-time high 25 years ago when a movement called the Global Campaign for Education was founded in the lead-up to the World Education Forum in Dakar. In the years since, celebrities such as Shakira and political heavyweights such as Gordon Brown became vocal advocates for every child’s right to achieve an education.
Yet that momentum has waned under the pressures of competing priorities, the still-lingering impact of a global pandemic, and the complexities of protracted and emerging conflicts. Now is the time for new and targeted actions to rebuild the political commitment necessary to address this global challenge.
We are currently witnessing a crisis in global education with 250 million children and youth out of school and 40% of primary school-age children lacking basic reading skills. Efforts to reach Sustainable Development Goal 4 — “ensuring inclusive, equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all” — are stymied by a $97 billion annual funding gap that prevents low- and lower-middle-income countries from investing in these critical programs.
About the author
Giulia McPherson@GiuliaMcPherson
Giulia McPherson is the newly appointed executive director of the Global Campaign for Education-US, a broad-based coalition dedicated to ensuring universal quality education for all children. She has 20 years of leadership experience in the humanitarian and development sectors and most recently served as vice president of advocacy and operations at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.
