IPNEd calls for focus on financing, learning & wellbeing at World Bank meetings

IPNEd’s Executive Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly speaking at the 2023 Parliamentary Forum of the World Bank & IMF

The 2023 Global Parliamentary Forum, co-organized by the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF, took place in-person from April 10-11 in Washington DC for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19. 

The event provided a unique convening platform for legislators from around the world alongside their peers and leadership from the World Bank and IMF. It was dedicated to deliberations on how to tackle the most crucial development challenges facing the world.

Tough challenges, tougher choices

This year’s Forum, themed “Tough Challenges, Tougher Choices” focused on the multiple crisis facing our common humanity, which Mr Liam Byrne MP, the Chair of event described as seven giants, Want, Hunger, Disease, Lost Learning, Conflict, Debt, and Climate Change.

The first day of the Forum included a plenary session on human capital that was addressed by IPNEd’s Executive Director, Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly.

Rescuing progress on education 

“The international community committed to ambitious education targets to be achieved by 2030, including universal secondary completion and at least a minimum level of proficiency in reading and mathematics achieved by all children,” said Mr Nhan-O’Reilly.

“But we now need to admit that the targets are no longer achievable and focus efforts on rescuing educational progress. Even the goal of universal primary completion, which was first set to be achieved by 1980, is not expected to be reached by 2030.” 

Mr Nhan-O’Reilly called for parliamentarians to focus on increasing funding for education, ensure all children learn to read and use school to promote children’s well being.

Financing 

“Data on national government budgets for 2021-2022 reveal that in lower income countries, the share of funding for education fell in 2020 and remains below 2019 levels.

“One in three countries is not reaching either of the finance benchmarks set in the Education 2030 Framework for Action which means that education systems across the world are chronically underfunded.

“Meanwhile, new data shows that bilateral donors collectively decreased their direct aid to education from 2019 to 2020 and now additional aid is being directed towards mitigating the consequences of the war in Ukraine and other crises.”

Mr Nhan-O’Reilly made a particular plea to MPs from donor countries to urge their governments to protect and prioritise aid to education, ensuring at a minimum both Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education are fully funded.

Learning 

“Sadly access to school doesn’t guarantee learning. In Low- and Middle-Income Countries as many as 70% of 10-year-old children cannot read and understand a simple text. Every child should complete primary school and when they do they should leave literate and numerate.

“Governments need to take notice of the magnitude of this problem and act to urgently solve it. 

Harnessing education to tackle hunger and malnutrition 

“We also need to harness the power of schooling to address the other crises we face, including hunger. Earlier today we heard how conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes and soaring fertiliser prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. 

“More than 900,000 people worldwide are fighting to survive in famine-like conditions and 200 million children’s lives are threatened by malnutrition.

“Feeding children at school is an effective way of protecting them from malnutrition, improving their health, increasing school enrolment, reducing dropout rates and boosting learning.

“But school meal programmes do more than provide food, they ease the financial pressure on low income households and can support local agricultural producers.

“The good news is that the number of children being reached by school meal programmes now exceeds pre-pandemic levels and the possible damage resulting from school closures is being repaired. 

“However the recovery has been least effective in low-income countries, and coverage of school feeding programmes is still lowest where it is most needed. 

“The impressive recovery of school feeding programmes demonstrates what’s possible with focused and sustained political leadership. But it also demonstrates the persistent challenge of inequality which must be addressed through solidarity.

“Therein lies a wider lesson, with a sustained focus, backed by the necessary political leadership, along with a commitment to support those countries furthest behind we can rescue global progress on education and give every child the chance to learn and thrive.”