IPNEd member parliamentarians call on African leaders to prioritise domestic financing for education
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More than a dozen parliamentarians have come together with civil society organisations, citizens, celebrities and youth leaders from across Africa to issue a call to action to African leaders on the eve of the Global Education Summit.
Ahead of the Summit which takes place in London on July 28-29, they have signed an open letter calling on Heads of State to prioritize, protect, and increase domestic financing for education.
The letter encourages leaders to endorse President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political statement on education financing, that he authored as co-host of the Global Education Summit.
The statement commits governments that are spending less than 20% of national expenditure on education to progressively increase their funding over the next 5 years in order to reach the global benchmark.
For those governments that are already meeting the target it commits them to maintain and where possible grow their spending.
Members of the International Parliamentary Network for Education have been working tirelessly to encourage their national governments to endorse the political statement and make ambitious pledges at the Summit, with 14 members of the Network, including chairs of committees and former Ministers of Education, adding their name to the open letter.
Welcoming these efforts, Hon. Professor Julius O. Ihonvbere, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education in the National Assembly of Nigeria and IPNEd’s Regional Representative for Africa said:
“IPNEd member parliamentarians have been at the forefront of a drive across the continent to supercharge the commitment for more and better national financing for education.
“I am delighted to see so many of my colleagues join forces with civil society organisations, celebrities, citizens and youth leaders to call on our leaders to prioritise domestic financing for education”.
Reflecting on the urgency of this call, Professor Ihonvbere added:
“Prior to the pandemic, 87% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa could not read and understand a simple story by their 10th birthday. The disruption caused by COVID-19 has made this worse and pushed education systems across the continent to breaking point.
“We cannot go back to business normal. Africa has a once-in-a-generation chance to emerge from this crisis doing things differently. Building a more prosperous and equal future for all of Africa must begin with improving how governments finance the education of their children and youth.
“We urge our leaders to respond to our call by endorsing President Kenyatta’s statement and making bold and ambitious commitments to protect and increase education expenditure, ensuring that financing is made available in an effective, transparent and accountable way that ensures resources are used to achieve equity”
Ahead of the Summit, IPNEd is continuing to support members of parliament on the vital task of protecting and growing national financing for education. The Network has produced a briefing which sets out what MPs can do to encourage their governments to endorse President Kenyatta's Call to Action and make a pledge at the Global Education Summit.
Last month the Network convened almost 100 members of parliament from around the world for a high-level roundtable in support of more and better education financing, alongside GPE Board Chair, Julia Guillard and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, David Moina Sengeh. IPNEd is also hosting a side-event at the Global Education Summit on the key role of parliamentarians in leveraging greater resources for education at home and abroad.
The letter was signed by the following IPNEd members:
Hon. Prof. Julius O. Ihonvbere OON - Chair of the House Committee on Basic Education & Services in the National Assembly of Nigeria; IPNEd Regional Representative for Africa (Nigeria)
Senator Dr Milgo Alice Chepkorir - Chair of the Education Committee in the Senate of Kenya (Kenya)
Hon. Dennitah Ghati MP - Member of Parliament for Persons with Disabilities in the National Assembly of Kenya (Kenya)
Senator Dr Gertrude Musuruve Inimah - Nominated Senator representing Persons with Disabilities in the National Assembly of Kenya and Co-Chair of the International Parliamentary Network for Education (Kenya)
Hon. Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe MP - Ranking member of the Education Committee of the Parliament of Ghana (Ghana)
Hon. Dr William Susuwele-Banda - Member of the National Assembly of Malawi and former Minister of Education (Malawi)
Senator Hafida Benchehida - Senator in the Parliament of Algeria (Algeria)
Hon. Agho Oliver Bamenju - Member of the National Assembly of Cameroon (Cameroon)
Hon. Deputy Boubacar Villiemmbo Biaye - General Manager of the Senegalese Parliamentary Network for the Promotion of Inclusive Education (REPSEI) (Senegal)
Hon. Issa Mardo Djabir - Chair of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development of the National Assembly in the National Assembly of Chad (Chad)
Hon. Beatrice Adagala - Member of the National Assembly of Kenya (Kenya)
Hon. Hayat Bouffarrachen - Member of the Parliament of Morocco (Morocco)
Hon. Ibtissame Azzaoui - Member of the Parliament of Morocco and IPNEd Regional Representative for Arab States (Morocco)
Hon. Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa - Member of the National Assembly of Zambia and former Minister of Education (Zambia)
