Basic Education

Description

Basic Education programs increase access to and improve the quality of education in low- and middle-income countries and help children and youth develop the skills needed to fulfill their potential and lead healthy and successful lives.

Use of Funds

Funds support programs that expand education service delivery; enhance teaching training and pedagogy; develop and distribute learning materials; support children’s acquisition of reading and other foundational learning skills; and provide youth with market-relevant skills.

Justification

• COVID-19 is exacerbating the global learning crisis. World Bank estimates show that global learning poverty—the proportion of 10-year-olds unable to read a short, age-appropriate text—will increase from 53% to 70% of children living in low- and middle-income countries. If left unaddressed, the long-term ramifications of inaction at the global level are severe; lower educational attainment can lead to less economic opportunity, worse health outcomes, and instability.
• Due to COVID-19, UNESCO warns that 117 million students around the world are still out of school.
• Since the start of the pandemic, USAID has mobilized over $900 million for education and reached more than 24 million learners by adapting and distributing learning materials, training and supporting teachers, partnering with ministries to safely and responsibly open schools, utilizing distance learning platforms, and providing psychosocial support and protection services.
• Support for international organizations, including the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW), complements U.S. bilateral programs and leverages additional resources.
  • In 2020, GPE mobilized over $500 million for education grants to ensure continued learning.
  • ECW delivers rapid, collaborative responses to the educational needs of children and youth affected by crises. Investments have reached over 4.6 million children and adolescents and almost 150,000 teachers since inception.