Finland: Finland strengthens its contribution to education in development cooperation

NordenBladet — Finland strengthens its support for education in developing countries as a donor of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). At the virtual Educa goes digital event on Friday 29 January, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari informed that Finland will allocate EUR 25 million to GPE’s next replenishment for 2021-2025.

GPE is the largest global fund dedicated to supporting education systems in developing countries. It gives grants for the development of the education sector in lower-income and fragile countries.  The majority of the grants are given to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.Finland has collaborated with GPE before. In 2013–2016, Finland supported the fund by a total of EUR 6 million. At the end of 2020, Finland allocated EUR 2 million to GPE’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to be used for supporting continuity of learning in developing countries in the emergency caused by the pandemic. The support focuses on ensuring the continuity of learning and return to school especially for girls and other children in vulnerable position.

“Given the international interest that our good expertise and education system attract, Finland can play a role in advancing the sustainable development goal of the UN 2030 Agenda on quality education in different parts of the world. Finland wants to work towards the common goal of providing quality education for the most vulnerable children and youth,” said Minister Skinnari at Educa.

Finland considers that it is particularly important to support access to education for girls and children with disabilities and to develop teacher training.GPE aims to raise USD 5 billion in development finance during the next five years. The funding will be used to strengthen education systems comprehensively, to improve the quality of teaching, and to promote the education of girls and the most marginalised children in more than 70 developing countries.

The countries receiving grants from GPE are required to be able to provide sufficient national funding for the education sector as well as to promote gender responsive and equitable education sector plans. GPE’s work is based on partnerships with developing countries, donors, development finance institutions, organisations and the private sector..