Investing in education in some of the world’s poorest countries is the “single best investment we can make in the future of humanity”, Boris Johnson has told an education summit in London.
The Global Partnership for Education raised more than $4bn (£2.9bn) from pledges, including £430m from the UK.
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Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai told the summit girls in particular faced an “education crisis”.
But charities warned the UK’s aid cuts had harmed fundraising.
The Global Partnership for Education, which distributes funding in more than 90 poorer countries, wants to raise $5bn (£3.6bn) to create an extra 88 million school places and support the learning of 175 million children during the next five years.
Pledges at the summit, hosted by the UK and Kenya, included:
- £595m from the European Union
- £300m from Norway
- £173m from Canada
- £218m over three years from the United States
Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister and chair of the education aid organisation, was confident that the full $5bn would be raised, but different national budget cycles would mean it would arrive in stages.
She said the pandemic had disrupted education in all countries – but the impact of closing schools had been much worse in poorer countries where many families lacked access at home to internet connections or electricity.
The UK prime minister hailed the importance of the fundraising initiative, saying investing in international education projects was a way of tackling “ignorance and prejudice” and boosting the economies of poorer countries.
“I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this summit today and I’m proud of what the UK has been able to contribute in spite of the difficult financial circumstances,” Mr Johnson said.
He called the provision of education, particularly for girls, the “panacea, the universal cure”.
“This is the Swiss Army knife, complete with Allen key, a screwdriver and everything else,” he told the summit.
‘Decidedly underwhelming’
But charity Save the Children said the fundraising had lost leverage because of the UK’s own aid cuts, which had left it with “diminishing leadership on the world stage”.
The One anti-poverty campaign warned of a “decidedly underwhelming result”, saying the overseas aid cut had “damaged our credibility”.
Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam, questioned the priorities of a world in which billionaires could compete in launching private space rockets while millions of children are unable to go to school.
She also warned of the negative impact from the UK “dramatically cutting aid”.
‘Fighting for’
Malala Yousafzai told the summit of the importance of investing in education, particularly for girls who had fewer opportunities “just because of their gender”.
“The world is facing a girls’ education crisis,” the education campaigner said, with more than 130 million out of school around the world and many millions more at risk of not returning after the pandemic.
“Their futures are worth fighting for.”
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, told the conference the fundraising event could “avert an education catastrophe”.
