I am writing to offer responses to questions raised in the Westminster Hall Debate on Promotion of Education for all at the G20 Summit on 6th July.

Breakdown of UK ODA spend on Education

As requested please find a table outlining the UK ODA spend on education at Annex A.  This data is available in the Statistics on International Development database and the multilateral ODA by sector table.

Education at the G20

As I am sure you are now aware, the G20 communiqué makes reference to the various education funding mechanisms including the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait and the International Finance Facility for Education.

Child Early and Forced Marriage data

Globally we have a good understanding of the prevalence of child marriage. This is typically measured through surveys such as the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). These measure prevalence by asking women between the ages of 15-49 years about age at first marriage or union. The data covers both formal and/or ‘official’ marriages, and those that are informal and ‘unofficial’.   

DFID supports a number of initiatives to combat child marriage. Our largest, a  £39 million, 5 year programme  ‘Accelerating Action to End Child Marriage’ provides support for a new UNICEF/UNFPA global programme, working in countries with the highest prevalence. In line with the current evidence, the programme addresses child marriage using a multi-sector approach - through strengthening legal and policy frameworks, and scaling up access to sexual and reproductive health, child protection services, and education for girls at risk. Over the last year the programme has reached over 1.6 million individuals, and supported over 7500 schools, and 4000 ‘service points’ to meet girls’ needs and support their empowerment. 

Health and Safety in refugee camps

The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides access to basic services for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. UNRWA does not administer or own the camps they work in, but is responsible for running education, health, relief and social services programmes for Palestinian refugees in and outside of camps. The responsibility for security and administration is with the relevant authorities. The welfare of refugees is a key concern for DFID.  We will continue to raise with UNRWA what more can be done to guarantee the welfare of refugees.

Financing education

The UK will continue to champion education on the global stage, and will encourage others to join us. But we also need to ensure the money we are spending, including through multi-lateral mechanisms is both transparent and effective.

We have previously linked our finance to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to improved results and improvement on reform priorities.  We propose to take a similar approach to the upcoming replenishment in early 2018, and to future funding of Education Cannot Wait.

Refugee education in Uganda

The UK has extended its support to Uganda in response to the escalating refugee situation. Over half a million South Sudanese refugee children are now in Uganda. UK humanitarian support increased to £40million this year, including education support in refugee settlements through UNICEF and UNHCR. The UK education programme in Uganda will be re-oriented to have a particular focus on the refugee hosting communities in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda. This programme will support local governments, education outreach services and schools to deliver improved learning outcomes for all children in the sub-region - both Ugandan children and refugees from South Sudan.

Our direct support will work alongside £2.6million provided for refugee education through the First Response funding window of Education Cannot Wait. This rapid funding will enhance coordination, bringing together humanitarian and development actors to take forwards the priorities of the South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan and align with the Government of Uganda’s Refugee and Host Population Empowerment strategy.

RORY STEWART

Annex A – Breakdown of UK Net ODA spend on Education