Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Gullis Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Laura Farris (Newbury) (Con)]

4. What steps her Department is taking to support female education in fragile states.

[Jonathan Gullis (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Con)]

11. What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that girls throughout the world receive 12 years of quality education.

--- Later in debate ---

[Anne-Marie Trevelyan]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the excellent work done by her local charity, Afghan Connection, and I look forward to hearing more about the work it is doing. Perhaps we can join that up.

DFID supports marginalised girls’ access and stay-in-school through strategies such as gender-sensitive infrastructure and pedagogy. DFID supports two girls’ education challenge projects in Afghanistan specifically. The UK is the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education and to Education Cannot Wait, which supports girls’ education across fragile states.

[Jonathan Gullis]

I thank my right hon. Friend for her previous answers. As a former secondary school teacher, I know first hand the role that education has in unleashing potential, so will she update the House on what steps her Department is taking to support women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states to ensure that where somebody is born has no bearing on their future potential?

[Anne-Marie Trevelyan]

I thank my hon. Friend for his service to education before coming on to the green Benches, and I know that he will support our commitment to educating girls. Girls in emergencies and crises are more than twice as likely to be out of school, so the UK prioritises quality education in conflicts and crises. We are the largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies, and bilaterally, we are supporting education for over 600,000 girls in Syria and surrounding countries.