​​​​​​​Swiss provide CHF52 million for Global Education initiative

Covid-19 has exacerbated the already fragile state of education in developing countries. Keystone / Joao Relvas

The Swiss government has renewed its support for the Global Partnership for Education, it said on Thursday. It is making CHF52 million ($58 million) available to the organisation for the period 2021–25.

The Global Partnership for EducationExternal link (GPE) is a global fund which has been strengthening education systems in low-income countries since its foundation in 2002, said a foreign ministry press releaseExternal link on Friday. Switzerland has supported the GPE financially since 2009 and sits on its board of directors.

This organisation is “an important multilateral partner of Switzerland for the implementation of its international cooperation objectives in the field of education”, according to the statement. It is also important for the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

According to UN data, 258 million children and young people still have no access to education. Girls and children in conflict zones are particularly affected. The quality of education is also a challenge, with many children barely able to read and write by the time they leave primary school. In addition, Covid-19 has worsened the already fragile state of education in low-income countries, the Swiss statement pointed out.

The Swiss contribution of CHF52 million is to be officially announced at the Global Education Summit in London at the end of July, whose goal is to raise $5 billion for the GPE to mitigate the current education crisis in developing countries. Switzerland will attend the summit.

Earlier this year, Switzerland also launched the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies. This new platform aims to help the 127 million children who do without schooling because of humanitarian crises.

Its official launch in January came after Switzerland pledged to establish Geneva as such a hub at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum.