§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to press other Governments to(a) increase their total international aid budget and (b) secure the abolition of education charges in the developing world by 2005. [33516]
§ Mr. BoatengIn his speech in New York in November the Chancellor called on all rich nations to commit further substantial increases to development assistance.
The Government are committed to the principle that primary education should be made free. No child should be denied access to a basic education because the costs, either direct or indirect, cannot be met by the household. School fees are an example of a direct cost, but there may be indirect charges for books, uniforms and exams, which can make education unaffordable to many.
The equitable financing of education is a key issue for achieving our goal of Universal Primary Education by 2015. In their dialogue with partner governments, the international community, and civil society on poverty reduction and education sector programmes, the Government will continue to argue for the reduction of financial barriers that exclude large numbers of the poorest children.