Today the Global Campaign for Education UK launched a new report highlighting the crisis in education funding.

The case for investing in education is clear. Education is key to lifting children out of poverty. Yet there are 263 million children and youth currently out of school. And even when children are in school, they are not necessarily learning.

In many countries around the world there is a persistent funding gap for education, denying millions of children their right to a quality education.

Through the Sustainable Development Goals, the world has made a promise to ensure inclusive, quality and equitable education for all by 2030. This is a promise we must deliver. But we will not even come close to achieving this goal unless we see a transformative step change in education financing.

This has been the key message from the Education Commission – a group of current and former world leaders, Nobel laureates, and leaders in the fields of education, business, health, economics and security. They have set out a powerful case for investing in education and outlined innovative recommendations on how to do so.

In response, today, the Global Campaign for Education UK published “Creating a learning generation: The UK’s crucial role in financing quality for all”.  Launched today at a packed-out event in Parliament, alongside the All Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education for All, with speeches from government minister Lord Bates, Education Commissioner Dr Amel Karboul, Alice Albright from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Pauline Rose from Cambridge University and Tanya Barron OBE for GCE UK – the report highlights the role the UK can play in ensuring the world delivers on its promises on quality and inclusive education.

It focuses on the four areas where we believe the UK needs to act:

1. Supporting developing countries to raise more money through tax and ensuring education is prioritised in public spending.
2. Continuing its leadership role and over time increasing its aid spending on education.
3. Supporting education through multilateral institutions, such as the GPE and helping them to reach the Education Commission’s recommended $2bn per year.
4. Leading on prioritising learning, with a strong focus on marginalised groups such as children with disabilities, girls, and children from fragile and conflict affected states to ensure that no child is left behind.

Children and young people around the world are counting on us – it’s time to put the warm words about the importance of education into action and investment. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to put in place the financial resources needed to create a learning generation – join our email list to hear about how you can get your school involved in the campaign.