Coronavirus has worsened the global education crisis, with 1.3 billion children – including 650 million girls – out of education at the peak of school closures. Experts warn that many children will never return, particularly as countries experience an economic contraction in the wake of the pandemic.
Missing out on education does long term damage to individuals and communities, with girls particularly at risk. The benefits of schooling are transformative and multi-generational - a child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past the age of five and twice as likely to attend school themselves. With just one additional school year, a woman’s earnings can increase by a fifth.
The Government of Kenya has made education a central part of their strategy to become a newly industrialised nation by 2030. A Global Partnership for Education partner since 2005, Kenya has made impressive gains, achieving universal primary education and breaking down gender barriers to get as many girls as boys enrolling in school.
The education summit, announced by UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Kenya President, Uhuru Kenyatta will take place in the UK in mid-2021 and will convene key global players and decision makers, with the aim of getting all children into school and learning.
To read the full article on the Global Partnership for Education website, please click here.
Photo credit: Kelley Lynch / GPE