§ 13. Caroline FlintTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the work of her Department in promoting education. [132193]
§ Clare ShortInvesting in basic education is vitally important for development and poverty reduction. Since May 1997 we have committed over £400 million to helping governments in developing countries to put in place sustainable education systems able to provide high-quality primary education to all their children.
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§ 15. Mr.Geraint DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of investment in women's education in reducing poverty in the developing world. [132195]
§ Clare ShortInvestment in education for girls has been shown consistently to be one of the most important determinants of development, with positive implications for all other measures of progress. World bank research has demonstrated that education increases the likelihood of women choosing to have smaller, healthier families and deciding to send their own children to school.
Nearly 900 million people are illiterate, and some 600 million of these are women. We are strongly committed to the international development targets of achieving universal primary education (UPE) by 2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary schooling by 2005. Achievement of UPE requires a strong commitment to gender equality. It needs a consciousness throughout the education system that changes of attitude and practice are necessary. We have in the last three years committed £400 million to support primary education programmes, all with a strong focus on gender equality. We will do more.
§ 22. Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions took place at the annual World bank-IMF meeting in September on adopting a global initiative on education. [132203]
§ Clare ShortIn the Development Committee, Ministers discussed progress in the implementation of the country-led approach to development embodied in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSP) process and Comprehensive Development Framework. We and others have repeatedly made it clear that education should feature prominently in countries' poverty reduction strategies.
The UK Ministerial Statement to the Development Committee reiterated our commitment to Education for All. We said:
We need to build on the strong political commitment by national governments and the international community to the goals of education for all, which were re-affirmed at the Dakar World Education Forum in April. Education is at the heart of development, but real progress towards education for all will only be achieved and sustained within well-defined, country-owned strategies for the sector, firmly set within broader development and budgetary frameworks. We are wary of interpretations of the Framework for Action agreed at Dakar which imply separate funds for education, new mechanisms and new conditionalities. We will continue to argue that the way forward is to ensure that education, and basic education in particular, is given the priority it deserves within PRSPs.
§ 23. Mr. St. AubynTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the proportion of her departmental budget to be allocated for education over the next three years. [132204]
§ Clare ShortWe are committed to the international development targets of achieving universal primary education by 2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary schooling by 2015, and to increasing investment in lifelong learning and skills development. Education is vitally important for development and poverty reduction and will continue to be given high136W priority in DFID's bilateral and multilateral programmes. We have committed £400 million to this work over the last three years and will do more.
§ 21. Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if, following the comprehensive spending review, she has new proposals for attaining the international goal of universal primary education by 2015. [132201]
§ Clare ShortReal progress towards education for all will only be achieved and sustained within well-defined, country-owned strategies for the sector, firmly set within broader development and budgetary frameworks. We are opposed to any interpretation of the Framework for Action agreed at Dakar which calls for separate funds for education, new mechanisms and new conditionalities. We believe that the way forward is to ensure that education, and basic education in particular, is given priority within Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSPs). It was agreed at Dakar, and reaffirmed by the G8 at Okinawa, that the international community will respond positively to requests for assistance from countries with sound education strategies. We have committed £400 million to primary education over the last three years and will do more.