News story

UK invests in future of the Commonwealth with new education programmes

皇冠体育app UK is committing a further 拢217 million for three major education projects across Commonwealth countries today.

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government
  • PM pledges an additional 拢217 million to support girls鈥� education across the Commonwealth
  • UK is committed to getting 40 million more girls into school around the world by 2026
  • Announcement comes as the PM attends meetings on youth and global challenges at the CHOGM Leaders Retreat

皇冠体育app UK is committing a further 拢217 million for three major education projects across Commonwealth countries today [Saturday], on the final day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

皇冠体育app funding will support global education data gathering, teacher training in Rwanda and programmes to get girls and vulnerable children into school in Pakistan.

Today鈥檚 announcements build on the UK鈥檚 track record. Between 2015 and 2020, the UK helped 8.1 million girls around the world to get a decent education. As President of the G7 last year, we led a collective commitment to get 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more reading by 2026.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

皇冠体育appre are no easy fixes in this world, but the closest thing we have to a silver bullet is girls鈥� education.

By giving all children the chance to get at least 12 years of good schooling, we create more stable, prosperous and happy societies.

皇冠体育app UK is proud to be a world leader in championing girls鈥� education. 皇冠体育app funding announced today will help end the injustice of education inequality and give millions more children the chance of a better life.

皇冠体育app Prime Minister also co-hosted the Global Education Summit in London last year with President Kenyatta, raising a record $4 billion to get children into school around the world.

Up 拢60 million of today鈥檚 pledge will go to the Girls in Rwanda Learn (GIRL) programme. Complementing Rwanda鈥檚 impressive achievements in education, the project will work with the Government to improve teachers鈥� English language skills and provide technical support, to further improve the quality of education and ensure girls remain in school.

皇冠体育app biggest funding allocation 鈥� up to 拢130 million 鈥� will go to GOAL鈥檚 Action for Learning Project to help girls and vulnerable children get back into the classroom in Pakistan. 皇冠体育app programme will reduce barriers and schooling costs for girls, and work with the local authorities to train teachers and improve school management.

皇冠体育app Data for Foundational Learning Programme, which will receive 拢27 million, supports UNESCO to track children鈥檚 learning outcomes globally. With better data on literacy and numeracy, policymakers can understand what works and share resources.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Supporting women and girls is at the heart of UK foreign policy. Investing in girls鈥� education is vital for a more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future.

We are working with our international partners to recover the learning lost during the Covid pandemic, getting 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more girls reading by 2026.

Every girl deserves an education and at CHOGM we are helping to make this happen.

皇冠体育app UK is also playing a leading role in supporting women鈥檚 economic empowerment and tackling gender-based violence across the Commonwealth. This week the Government has confirmed a further 拢1m in funding for the SheTradesprogramme, which supports women-owned businesses.

Since 2018 SheTrades Commonwealth has directly supported over 3,500 female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, helping to generate over 拢32m of sales for those women-owned businesses and supporting the creation of more than 6,600 jobs.

皇冠体育app Prime Minister will attend the Leaders Retreat today for discussions on youth, innovation, and global challenges like rising food prices, on the final day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

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Published 25 June 2022