EU Pledges €313m Investment To Improve Education For Children In Crisis

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – European Union (EU) Commission has pledged to invest €313 million to alleviate the plight of children whose education has been disrupted by crisis in the part of the world.

This is the biggest contribution to the ECW. It is a fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. Active in 31 countries, ECW has already supported 6.9 million children and young people.

The EU and ECW promote access to high-quality education for the children most left behind, and seek to make education investments more effective and sustainable by bridging the gap between humanitarian and development interventions, in line with the commitments of the Transforming Education Summit.

The funding through ECW complements other EU support to promote quality education for children and young people in emergencies and protracted crises and to increase resilience of education systems in partner countries. The EU education investments in fragile countries during the period 2021–2027 will reach €3.2 billion, from the EU budget.

Germany is the single largest contributor to ‘ECW, with €210 million for the period 2023–2026. Other Member States contributing to the overall Team Europe pledge are Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy. The Commission has funded ECW  with €27.5 million since its launch, and will now make available an additional€25 million for 2023–2027.

The EU remains firmly committed to accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education. The EU institutions and Member States together contribute more than half of all global aid to education, supporting the education sector in more than 100 countries around the world.

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen said: “I am very proud that Team Europe is the leading contributor to ECW. The COVID19 pandemic caused an education crisis in many parts of the world, but children that are suffering a crisis have been most affected. The EU, as an Education Champion, is committed to invest more and better in education, including in emergencies and crises, in line with the commitments taken at the Transforming Education Summit.

“ECW is a key partner in reaching the world’s 222 million crisis-hit children. I am pleased to confirm that, given the urgency, the €25 million pledge of the European Commission will be made available as of this year”.

Similarly, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said the EU strongly supports access to inclusive, quality education in a safe and protective environment for all; we stand for education no matter what. “We will continue to work closely with ‘ECW on the ground in fragile and crisis-affected situations”, she added.

German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze observed that too many children, especially girls, have no access to quality education to provide them with the tools for a better future, a way out of the cycle of poverty and despair.

“We cannot afford to lose this generation. Today’s pledges will help to give millions of the most vulnerable young people hope. Germany already announced last year that we will support the Strategic Plan to assist these children with €210 million for the next four years. Today, we were joined by many other donors. Together, we have shouldered our shared responsibility. But to be clear: our joint efforts cannot and will not stop here”, she stressed.

Ireland’s Minister for International Development, Seán Fleming noted that conflict, hunger, and climate crises mean that more and more children are learning amid devastating emergencies, adding that those most affected are often those with existing barriers to accessing their right to education, such as girls and children with disabilities. I

“Ireland is committed to ensuring that all children can obtain high-quality and inclusive education, and are pledging today to provide 4.5 million euro annually to support the work of ECW, for a total of €18 million by 2026”, she further disclosed.

In his remarks, the Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy of Denmark, Dan Jørgensen said education is critical to girls’ rights and to reduce gender-based violence and child marriage.

“Denmark is proud to collaborate with Education Cannot Wait on quality education for children and young people affected by crisis and conflict and pledges 415 million DKK for the period 2022-26”, he added.

Finland’s Under-Secretary of State,  Pasi Hellman  also assured that his is committed to promoting and protecting the right to inclusive and quality education, especially for girls and children with disabilities.

“I wish to highlight the importance of school meals for improved education results – this is an area where Finland also wished to share its own experiences more broadly. I am pleased to announce Finland’s €2 million contribution to ECWait”, he further stated.

Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Spain said her country has dedicated €7 million in 2022 to the education sector in emergencies and by 2023 we plan to maintain at least a similar level of commitment. “All our actions are guided by the Team Europe spirit”, she stressed

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