Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government's commitment to education made at the G7 in June 2021, what steps the Government is taking to remove barriers to education for the world’s most vulnerable children, particularly those who are also living with disabilities.

Meeting under the UK Presidency, G7 Foreign and Development Ministers endorsed two new, global, SDG 4 milestone targets on girls' education, which we are calling on the world to help deliver. Ministers also endorsed a girls' education declaration, which specifically states the G7 will work in collaboration with developing country partners, multilateral institutions, civil society, girl-led groups, and youth leaders, to remove the obstacles to education that stand in girls' way. This includes addressing the social, environmental, and institutional barriers to education such as reducing violence in and out of schools, promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights and amending restrictive policies or legislation which prevent girls thriving in school.

We know learners with disabilities face severe barriers in accessing education, which have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. The FCDO's "twin track" approach provides both targeted support for learners with disabilities and seeks to improve mainstream education systems to be inclusive. Through the Girls' Education Challenge, we are helping 100,000 girls with disabilities receive an education in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.