Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Official Development Assistance funding for education strengthens public education institutions (a) where state provision is weak or non-existent and (b) generally.

UK research - including the Research in Improving Systems of Education programme - has improved global understanding of how to support education reform. This has shaped the UK's education portfolio to deliver quality, safe education for all children. We are the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education which works to strengthen government education systems with government, including in fragile and conflict affected countries. UK-led projects - such as the Girls' Education Challenge - work closely with governments where state provision is weak, using UK-led research, to influence policy on how to reach the most marginalised. The Girls' Education Challenge has supported over 1.5 million children to receive education.