Send My Friend to School: letter to Minister of State for Development on the UK’s investment in Education Cannot Wait

Senior representatives of the member organisations of the Send My Friend to School coalition have written today to the Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Minister of State for Development, to urge the UK Government to pledge at least £170 million to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations Global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Representing international development NGOs, teachers unions and charities, the leaders of fourteen organisations have come together to encourage the UK to play its part to ensure ECW meets its new funding target.

ECW requires at least $1.5 billion to deliver its ambitious 2023-2026 Strategic Plan and reach 20 million children and adolescents affected by crises, including 12 million girls and 2 million children with disabilities. A UK pledge of £170 million would directly provide 2.6 million children in an emergency or protracted crisis with quality education, of whom 60% would be girls.

Previously the UK contributed 20% of total funds received by ECW for its first strategic period from 2016-2022. In ECW’s new strategic period a pledge of £170m would equate to 13% of the overall funding target and enable ECW to deliver its work and meet the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s aims to reach the most marginalised children in countries with the greatest educational needs.  

Currently there are 222 million children around the world who have had their education disrupted by crisis, conflict and climate change. The UK government now has the opportunity to help catalyse action to put an end to this shocking statistic.

The time to act is now, because Education Cannot Wait.

Read the letter here

You can read a copy of the letter here, and for more information, you can read our report Fund Education in Emergencies Now: Our 222 million friends in crisis need education.