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UK announces 650bn/- education boost
2007-05-04 09:27:11
By Guardian Reporter
The UK government has announced it will provide 650bn/- for financing education in Tanzania over the next 10 years.
A statement issued yesterday by the UK`s Department for International Development said the funds will be provided through general budget support and will depend on continued good performance by the government of Tanzania in implementing its poverty reduction strategy, including in the education sector.
The statement said the announcement was made by Gordon Brown, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for International Development, during the `Keeping our Promises on Education` conference organised by the European Commission and the World Bank in Brussels on Wednesday.
The funds are part of the UK’s pledge to spend £8.5 billion (over Tshs 21 trillion) worldwide in the next 10 years, helping the world`s poorest countries recruit more teachers, build new classrooms and provide basic materials like books and stationery.
Gordon Brown warned the international community that unless rich countries provide up to $11 billion of new aid every year for the next 10 years, the world will not meet the UN’s target of getting all children into primary school by 2015.
Hence, the UK itself is committing to increase its aid to education from £450 million in 2005/06 to £1 billion a year by 2010.
Chancellor Brown claimed in the statement: ``We can be the first generation in history to send every child to school. We will work with every country, charities and international organisations to achieve this goal.``
Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development, added:
``This morning millions of boys and girls weren`t where they should have been - in a classroom, with a desk and a teacher.
Governments need the security of long-term aid so they can plan their education spending over years, not months. That`s why the UK is committed to spending £1 billion on global education every year by 2010.``
Tanzania has been successful in raising primary school enrolment from less than 60% in 2000 to 96% in 2006.
David Stanton, head of DFID in Tanzania said however, that increased long-term funding is essential to help the government of Tanzania address the big challenges that still remain, including lack of teachers, classrooms, teaching materials, teachers’ housing, and the need to improve teaching skills.
``Following the improved enrolment rates at primary level, we wish to support the huge efforts now under way to finance the expansion of secondary education.
We share the government`s desire to see all primary graduates gain a place in a secondary school where children receive a good education,`` said Stanton in the statement.
The `Keeping our Promises on Education` conference was designed to focus international attention on the urgent need to increase education funding, and included high level representatives from EU states, the G8, Gulf and Arab states, and leadership level representatives from developing countries, the private sector, the UN, and key NGOs.
One of the Millennium Development Goals is to ensure that all children are able to complete primary education. There are currently 77 million children who are out of school, 38 million of them in Africa.
In 2006/07, UK provided £110 million in aid to Tanzania, of which £90 million was provided as general budget support to assist the government in implementing priorities set out in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (MKUKUTA).
In 2007/08, UK is planning to provide £120 million in aid to Tanzania, of which £105 million will be provided as general budget support to assist implementation of MKUKUTA.
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