§ Tony BaldryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Government proposes to fulfil the commitment at the 2000 G8 Summit in Okinawa that no countries seriously committed to education for all will be thwarted in their achievements of this goal by lack of resources; what information he has collated on the actions of the other G8 countries to meet this commitment; and if he will make a statement. [27862]
§ Clare ShortI have been asked to reply.
The international response to the resource commitment made at the World Education Forum in Dakar (and endorsed by the G8 at Okinawa) has been slow and has lacked effective co-ordination. At the Education for All High-Level Group meeting in Paris in October, I called for international action to be stepped up in a coherent, well-organised and supportive way.
Achieving universal primary education (UPE) can happen only through reform and action at the country level. More attention needs to be given to determining whether a country is "seriously committed" to education for all. Key indicators of commitment are the development of sound national education policies, closely linked to the country's poverty reduction strategies; the rapid abolition of user fees and other direct cost barriers to, education; the resources allocated to education, and specifically to primary education; and concrete evidence of efforts to promote gender equality. Being serious about UPE means clear commitments in all of these areas.
Where countries are making these commitments, the international community must deliver the additional resources they require. We believe that delivering this Dakar resource commitment is best analysed and acted upon at the country level. It should be incorporated into all country level negotiations on poverty reduction strategies. It will also require a step-change in the level of international financing to support and sustain UPE, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Development agencies and the multilateral development banks, including the World bank, must increase the resources committed to helping reforming Governments deliver UPE. We also need much greater co-ordination between development agencies, working together in support of a country's own development strategy.
DFID's "Children out of school" paper sets out these proposals and urges much greater international energy and co-operation in taking them forward. It also calls for the 650W response of the developed world to the Dakar resource commitment to be monitored and reported at the World bank annual meeting, and in the report on progress towards the millennium development goals provided by the multilateral developments banks for the G8.
The Government give high priority to the UPE goal and DFID has committed over £600 million to support the development of good quality, sustainable primary education systems in developing countries since 1997. We will do more. Canada shares our strong commitment to UPE and now chairs the G8 Education Task Force, where DFID represents the UK. Information submitted to the task force indicates clearly that the priority given to primary education within other G8 members' development programmes varies significantly. We would like the task force's report to this year's summit in Canada to indicate how the G8 can deliver effectively on its Okinawa commitment, and complement other international action to accelerate progress toward the UPE goal.