MPs celebrate Julia Gillard’s work on global education
28.02.22 - Current and former parliamentarians joined IPNEd Co-Chair Harriett Baldwin MP in celebrating Julia Gillard’s political leadership for education.
At a parliamentary reception hosted by IPNEd Co-Chair Harriett Baldwin MP, parliamentary champions for education in the UK Parliament and colleagues across civil society joined together to celebrate The Hon Julia Gillard’s work on global education.
The 27th Prime Minister of Australia, Ms. Gillard has been a lifelong champion of educational opportunity and progress.
From 2014 to 2021 she was Chair of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), completing her tenure shortly after the Global Education Summit, which was jointly hosted by the UK and Kenya in London last July. The Summit was the culmination of GPE’s most successful replenishment to date.
She also served as a member of the International Commission for Education Financing and is Patron of the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED).
At the reception, Rt. Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, former Secretary of State for International Development and current Minister of State for the Department for International Trade, shared keynote remarks about Ms. Gillard and her leadership for inclusive education for every child.
“She’s given real focus and a global approach to harness all of the resources that are there to support education, and to make sure particularly girls get an access to education.”
Ms. Mordaunt recognized Ms. Gillard’s distinguished leadership across global education, including with her focus on quality data collection, disability-inclusive education and quality teaching and growing teachers’ capacity.
IPNEd Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly also shared a view from civil society and as a former member of the GPE board.
He particularly recognised the success of the most recent GPE replenishment at the Global Education Summit in July 2021 under Ms. Gillard’s leadership. The replenishment was the largest of any GPE campaign since its inception.
Last year, Ms. Gillard accepted an invitation to become the inaugural Associate Member of the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd). Associate Members are former members of parliament who commit to supporting education in their post-parliamentary career.
We are honoured and grateful for her support for IPNEd as well as her commitment to, and political leadership for, education across her parliamentary and post-parliamentary career.
