Who made the grade? Our education donor scorecard

In its annual global education report released Wednesday, UNESCO revealed that foreign aid donors remain off track in fulfilling their financial commitments to global education, including the second Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal basic education by 2015. Foreign aid to global education has fallen in the aftermath of the global financial crisis — widening the global financing gap for basic education to a staggering $26 billion each year. But a Devex analysis of the recently released 2012 aid data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that it isn’t all bad news in the education donor landscape. Official development assistance for the education sector stood at $11.6 billion in 2012, down 7 percent from 2011. The World Bank and the Netherlands’ education aid programs were among the hardest hit by cuts. At the same time, two of the largest education aid donors — the United States and Australia — substantially increased their education aid spending. And despite severe budget pressures in Brussels, the European Union largely protected its education aid spending. Meanwhile, other major education aid donors demonstrated their commitment to the second MDG by channeling the vast majority of their education aid to basic education. These include the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Using indicators that assess both the quantity and type of education aid, Devex evaluated the major donors in the sector for 2012. For each donor, we looked at the (1) volume of education ODA, (2) the percent change in education ODA between 2011 and 2012, (3) the share of ODA allocated to education, and (4) the estimated share of education ODA for basic education. Looking at the data and comparing donors to each other, which ones showed the highest commitment to education funding overall, and, in particular, to basic education? VERY HIGH COMMITMENT United Kingdom Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 61 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 11 percent In 2012, the United Kingdom disbursed just over $1 billion in ODA for education, down 4 percent from 2011. Despite the modest drop in U.K. education aid spending, the United Kingdom nonetheless allocated 11 percent of its ODA to education — well above the 8 percent average of all donors. The U.K. Department for International Development’s education programming is geared toward three core priorities: improving learning, reaching children in fragile states and promoting girls’ education. Fourteen of DfID’s 21 priority countries for education programming are located in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Australia Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 57 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 12 percent In 2012, Australia disbursed $564 million in ODA for education, up 29 percent from 2011 — the largest education aid hike in percentage terms among major donors. During its six years in office from 2007 to 2013, the Labor government had elevated education as the flagship sector of the then steadily growing Australian aid program. Yet following the devastating, across-the-board aid cuts announced recently by Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s conservative government, analysts say Canberra’s commitment to its education aid program is now in doubt. Three years ago, then-opposition leader Abbott urged the Labor government to shelve its marquee education initiative in Indonesia, one of the largest recipients of Australian education ODA. HIGH COMMITMENT United States Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 81 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 4 percent In 2012, the United States disbursed $944 million in ODA for education, representing a 27 percent increase from 2011. Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and Indonesia are the largest recipients of U.S. education assistance. The U.S. Agency for International Development is three years into its ambitious, five-year education strategy, which aims to achieve three goals by 2015: improve reading skills for 100 million primary schoolchildren, strengthen tertiary and workforce development programs, and increase equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners. Tony Baker, Education for All campaign manager for the Results Educational Fund in Washington, told Devex, however, that global education seems to enjoy far more support among members of Congress than in the Obama administration. European Union Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 36 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 5 percent In 2012, the European Union disbursed $893 million in ODA for education, 1 percent below 2011 levels. EU education aid programming focuses on children from vulnerable social groups, as well as those in fragile states. Fragile, conflict-affected or post-conflict countries — including Somalia, Iraq, Bangladesh and Myanmar — comprise more than a third of the 42 countries that receive education assistance from the EU. Indonesia, the largest recipient of EU education ODA in 2012, is expected to graduate from Brussels’ bilateral aid program beginning later this year. MEDIUM COMMITMENT Germany Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 18 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 17 percent In 2012, Germany disbursed $1.7 billion in ODA for education, down 5 percent from 2011. While the country is ostensibly the largest aid donor to education, the German government has consistently reported scholarships and costs for international students studying in Germany as part of its education ODA — a practice that is permitted by the OECD-DAC. In fact, the vast majority (60 percent or $1 billion) of Germany’s education ODA in 2012 was spent on scholarships and costs for international students, while only 18 percent was spent on basic education. The German government’s first ever education aid strategy, unveiled nearly two years ago, had called for a more holistic approach to German development cooperation in the education sector. China, India and Afghanistan were the largest recipients of German education ODA in 2012. France Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 15 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 15 percent In 2012, France disbursed $1.5 billion in ODA for education, 5 percent below 2011 levels. Like Germany, France also counts scholarships and costs for international students as part of its education ODA. In 2012, 68 percent ($991 million) of France’s education ODA was actually spent on scholarships and costs for international students while only 15 percent was spent on basic education. Morocco, China and Algeria were the largest recipients of French education ODA that year. The French government has identified two key objectives for the country’s education aid program through 2015: expanding access to quality primary education, and promoting integrated approaches to education including teaching and vocational training. IDA, World Bank Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 40 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 8 percent In 2012, the World Bank’s lending arm for poor countries, the International Development Association, disbursed $950 million in ODA for education, a 33 percent drop from the year before. Many global education advocates, including Results Educational Fund’s Baker, contend that the World Bank has failed to meet its commitment to accelerate basic education support to the 59 countries participating in the Global Partnership for Education — the multilateral financing mechanism for global education. Launched in 2002 under the auspices of the World Bank, GPE was intended to provide additional funding for basic education in low and lower-middle-income countries. In line with its education strategy called “Learning for All,” the World Bank has pledged to increase lending for basic education worldwide by $750 million from 2011 to 2015. LOW COMMITMENT Netherlands Estimated Basic Education Share of Education ODA (2012): 43 percent Education Share of ODA (2012): 7 percent In 2012, the Netherlands disbursed $266 million in ODA for education, representing a 35 percent decrease from 2011 levels. In a bid to achieve more focus in its foreign aid program, the Dutch government began phasing out education assistance to its development partners in 2011 — a process that is expected to be largely completed by 2017. Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia are among the countries affected by the cuts. Education was a priority sector for Dutch development cooperation between 2002 and 2010. We know assessing education donors isn’t an exact science. Do you think some donors deserve higher — or lower — marks? Let us know in the comments section below.