| Founded | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Key people | Julia Gillard, Alice Albright, Laura Frigenti |
| Website | www.globalpartnership.org |
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning. GPE brings together developing countries, donors, international organizations, civil society, teacher organizations, the private sector, and foundations. The Global Partnership for Education is the only global fund solely dedicated to education in developing countries. [1]
The Global Partnership for Education started in 2002 as the Education For All – Fast Track Initiative (source: World Bank[2]). The original objective of EFA FTI were to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2000, namely MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education (source: UN[3]).
In September 2011, EFA FTI was renamed the Global Partnership for Education (source: GPE)[4].
Initially EFA FTI targeted its support to a small set of countries: Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nicaragua, Niger, and Yemen It then expanded its support to all low-income countries As of January 2006, 45 low-income countries were receiving technical or financial support from EFA FTI. (source: World Bank).[5]
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the largest global fund solely dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries, and a unique, multi-stakeholder partnership. GPE works to deliver quality education so that every girl and boy can have hope, opportunity and agency.
GPE delivers grants and technical support to build strong education systems in countries characterized by extreme poverty or conflict so that more children, especially girls, get the education they need to thrive and contribute to building a more prosperous and sustainable world.
GPE brings together all partners invested in education—lower-income countries, donors, international organizations, civil society, youth, teacher organizations, the private sector and private foundations—to transform education systems focusing particularly on the places and people with the greatest needs. (Source: Reliefweb[6])
At the national level, GPE brings together all education partners in a collaborative forum called the local education group, led by the ministry of education. The group participates in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education sector plans and programs. A coordinating agency is selected among its members to facilitate the work of the local education group. Additionally a grant agent is chosen by the government and approved by the group to oversee the implementation of GPE grants[7].
GPE is headed by a Board of Directors, which includes 20 seats: 6 sets for low-income countries’ constituencies, 6 seats for donors, 3 seats for multilateral agencies and regional banks, and 5 seats for civil society organizations, teacher organizations and the private sector and foundations.[8]
Laura Frigenti is the actual Chief Executive Officer of GPE. She succeeded Alice Albright who was GPE CEO from 2013 to 2021. Former Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete is the Chair of the Board of Directors and Dr Susan Liautaud is the Vice Chair
GPE leverages the financial support of donor countries, international organizations, the private sector and philanthropy to strengthen education systems in developing countries. GPE also encourages partner developing countries to allocate 20% of their national budget to education, with a significant proportion (45%) for primary education. Since 2003, GPE has received US$5.7 billion from donors.[9] Private and philanthropic funders include the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Dubai Cares, European Commission, the LEGO Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and the Rockefeller Foundation.[10]
Critics have noted that there is some redundancy in GPE funding, most of which is transferred through the World Bank or UNICEF before reaching its intended recipient. However this redundancy must be balanced against its democratic and inclusive governance structure.[11]
GPE partners with 87 countries which are home to 82 percent of the world’s out of school children[12].
Since 2002, there are 77 million more children in school in GPE partner countries and US$5.3 billion in grants have been allocated since 2003, including US$2.4 billion to partner countries affected by fragility and conflict.[13]
Despite progress, there is still much work to be done. To date, there are 258 million children, adolescents and youth who are not in school. This includes 59 million children of primary school age, 62 million adolescents of lower secondary school age, and 138 million youth of upper secondary school age.[14]