It may be true that every journey begins with a single step. But when it comes to education, especially in low- and middle-income countries, we have a long way to go. Fortunately, many efforts are now underway to help these countries cover the distance and reach the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring quality education for all by 2030.

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As a special envoy for the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, I have led high-level delegations to 14 countries across Africa. On those visits, I witnessed firsthand the commitment of the continent’s leaders to undertake reforms and boost investment in education.

But if the SDG on education is to be achieved, African leaders’ commitment must be matched by commensurate support from the international community, potentially through an International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd). As matters now stand, the international community is falling short in this area – particularly when it comes to financing.

The Education Commission’s groundbreaking Learning Generation report makes clear what is at stake, particularly for African countries that have long suffered from education shortfalls. By 2050, Africa will be home to a billion young people. By 2030, if current trends persist, only one in ten young people will be on track to gain basic secondary-level skills in low-income countries, the majority of which are in Africa. Simply put, we now risk compromising the future of an entire generation.

The IFFEd would bring together bilateral donors, the World Bank, and regional development banks in a coordinated manner, enabling them to pool their resources and leverage idle capital where appropriate. Once in operation, the IFFEd could, by 2020, mobilize $13 billion annually in additional resources for education in countries determined to invest in and reform education.

Now comes the hard part: turning rhetoric into reality and commitment into progress. With the demand for an IFFEd well established, we are ready to bring the call for a mass mobilization of international finance for education to those who can make it happen.

Read the source article at Project Syndicate

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