§ 9. Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her priorities are for education investment in the poorest countries. [29132]
§ Clare ShortOur priority in education is to achieve the millennium development goals of universal primary education in all countries by the year 2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary schooling by 2005. Since May 1997 we have committed over £600 million in support of them. Our recent paper "Children out of School" proposes an eight-point plan of international action for accelerating progress towards the 2015 target.
§ 14. Mr. JoyceTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what importance she places on the role of education in the context of Government assistance to developing nations. [29137]
§ Clare ShortWe give very high priority to education because education is a precondition of development and poverty reduction. We want other development agencies to do likewise. DFID's focus is on ensuring that we achieve the target of quality primary education for all children by 2015. Our education strategy paper, "The challenge of universal primary education", sets out DFID's overall approach and threefold strategy for delivering this goal.
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