Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what indicators her Department uses to track the impact of its education Official Development Assistance on foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK, where available, uses national data systems to track and monitor progress of its Official Development Assistance spend on foundational literacy and numeracy and in a number of countries is working to strengthen these national systems. UK-funded centrally managed programmes and research programmes are also building the global public goods on evidence and data that are needed to better track foundational learning for all. The UK is committed to press for better accountability and coordination in the international education system to deliver the greatest impact for girls' education. We are working with like-minded partners to deliver stronger accountability for Sustainable Development Goal 4 progress, including through better use of education data to focus global efforts on areas of greatest need. A UK-funded programme in Tanzania was recently included as a leading example in a global review of how best to improve learning at scale. It showed how the programme, EQUIP-T, successfully improved literacy and numeracy skills for pupils, especially girls and the most marginalised. We are committed to ensuring there are more programmes like EQUIP-T - whether funded by governments, donors, or multilaterals - that both improve learning outcomes for all children and can prove it.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department’s programming to support improved foundational literacy and numeracy is being targeted to countries where literacy rates and proficiency in maths are lowest.
Answered by Vicky Ford
HMG's Girls Education Action Plan, launched in May by the Prime Minister sets out how we plan to deliver the global girls' education targets and ensure all children, particularly girls, have access to quality education. The plan identifies the need to address the gap in children's foundational learning to ensure children achieve basic literacy, numeracy as well as other transferable skills as the building blocks needed to make progress in school, attain higher order skills, and reap the full rewards of education. UK support is underpinned by evidence and focuses on supporting the most marginalised. The bulk of our education programmes are in Africa where the needs are greatest and learning levels lowest, such as in Malawi and Uganda. The UK is also ensuring that children's learning is prioritised in very challenging contexts, such as in Nigeria and Syria, and building strong relationships to identify and support governments that are committed to education reform, such as in Rwanda and Sierra Leone.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries receive the most Official Development Assistance for improving foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Foundational literacy and numeracy are essential and effective tools for reducing poverty and inequality, especially when focused on girls. That is why, under the UK's G7 presidency, we secured pioneering endorsement to two new global access and learning objectives, to ensure that all children - particularly girls - secure foundational learning. In 2020, Pakistan, Lebanon, Tanzania, Rwanda and Bangladesh were the five largest recipients of bilateral UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) for basic education. The UK continues to support around 15 more countries bilaterally in foundational learning. We are also the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education, from which a further 70 countries are eligible to receive support to improve foundational learning. ODA is reported on a calendar year basis and ODA figures for 2021 will be available next year after reporting to the OECD.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of reductions to Official Development Assistance for education on the education of children with disabilities.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The FCDO is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities are able to access a quality education as set out in our 2018 Education Policy and the Disability Inclusion Strategy. The then Foreign Secretary and Ministers considered equalities impacts as they made decisions on 2021/22 Official Development Assistance spend.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total Official Development Assistance for education budget is for financial year 2021-22; and what percentage change does that represent compared with the previous year.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The FCDO will spend £400 million of bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) on girls' education for 2021-22. ODA is reported on a calendar year basis, and includes sectoral breakdowns such as education. The FCDO National Statistics publication, 'Statistics on International Development' includes this information. Provisional ODA spend for 2020 is available, with sectoral breakdowns due to be published in the autumn. The UK's ODA spend for 2021, including an activity level dataset, will be published next year.
FCDO publishes regular open data through the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). This operational data covers current live programmes, and will include 2021 spend once business planning is concluded. The raw data can be accessed at the IATI Registry, and is shown on the Development Tracker website at https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she plans to revise the DFID Disability Inclusion Strategy for her Department; and what changes she plans to make.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The FCDO will publish an enhanced Disability Inclusion Strategy by end 2021 which will reaffirm the UK's commitment to disability inclusion internationally.
The Strategy will be adapted to reflect the FCDO's combined diplomatic and development resources and wider geographical reach. It will incorporate a longer term vision to 2030. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and global climate crisis, it will include new and emergent thematic and cross-cutting issues alongside the existing themes. In line with our partnership approach and 'nothing about us without us' the Strategy is being developed in consultation with people with disabilities and their representative organisations across our geographic remit.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent correspondence he has had with his US counterpart on a US pledge to the Global Partnership for Education.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We continue to work with all donors, and are in regular contact with counterparts in the US ahead of the Global Education Summit due to take place in London on 28-29 July. As co-hosts of this Summit, we continue to use the full weight of our diplomatic networks and development expertise to ensure the Summit is a success.
At the G7 Leaders' Summit, the Prime Minister secured a landmark commitment from our G7 partners to provide at least $2.7 billion to the Global Partnership for Education. This includes £430 million from the UK, which is an uplift of 15% from our current position as top bilateral donor, and our largest ever contribution to the GPE.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the prospects of the five billion dollar Global Partnership for Education replenishment target being met at the Global Education Summit in July 2021.
Answered by Wendy Morton
At the Global Education Summit (GES) on 28-29 July, we hope to secure $4 billion, or 80% of the Global Partnership for Education's 5-year rolling target of $5 billion. This would be the single biggest ever boost to children's education opportunities around the world. As part of commitment, we hope to help GPE diversify its funding base, with new sovereign and private donors. We are also working closely with our co-hosts, Kenya, to galvanise domestic financing to education from developing nations.
At the G7 Summit, the Prime Minister announced the UK pledge of £430 million to the GPE. This five-year pledge is our largest ever pledge to GPE, and an uplift of 15% from our current position as top bilateral donor. This generous contribution meant we were able to secure commitment from G7 partners of at least $2.7 billion to GPE ahead of the GES.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of a top-up of its pledge to the Global Partnership for Education to maximise prospects of the five billion dollar target being reached.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is leading the way in the run-up to the Global Education Summit on 28-29 July. At the G7 Leaders' Summit, the Prime Minister announced the UK pledge of £430 million to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which is an uplift of 15% from the last financing period, and our largest ever contribution to GPE. This is also the largest bilateral pledge announced so far, and our co-host Kenya, we are urging other nations to step up their pledges to GPE.
This significant pledge meant that we were able to secure commitment from G7 partners of at least $2.7 billion to GPE ahead of the GES. At the Summit, we hope to secure up to $4 billion, which is 80% of GPE's 5-year target of $5 billion, and would be the single biggest ever boost to children's education opportunities around the world.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference Government's commitment to education at the G7 in June 2021, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that its goal of increasing the number of girls who have access to 12 years of education will still be achieved following the reduction in aid spending from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of GNI.
Answered by Wendy Morton
2021 is a year of UK leadership on the world stage, including on girls' education. Meeting under the UK Presidency, G7 Foreign and Development Ministers endorsed two new, global, SDG 4 milestone targets on girls' education on 5 May, which we are calling on the world to help deliver, working in partnership with developing country partners, multilateral institutions, civil society, girl-led groups, and youth leaders. At the G7 Summit the Prime Minister announced a UK pledge of £430 million to the Global Partnership for Education, this is our largest ever pledge to GPE and an uplift of 15% from our current position as top bilateral donor. This significant pledge meant we were able to secure commitment from G7 partners of at least $2.7 billion to GPE contributing to GPE's rolling target of $5 billion over the next 5 years.
The FCDO will also spend £400 million of bilateral ODA on girls' education this year. This is separate from our pledge to GPE. This very substantial sustained investment of UK ODA is only one of our tools in achieving our ambitions.