[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 466 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 466

Supporting the role of the United States in promoting children's access 
   to quality education in the poorest countries through the Global 
                       Partnership for Education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2017

   Mr. Reichert (for himself and Mrs. Lowey) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the role of the United States in promoting children's access 
   to quality education in the poorest countries through the Global 
                       Partnership for Education.

Whereas access to quality education reduces poverty, advances economic 
        prosperity, improves peace and security, and strengthens public health;
Whereas the 2016 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, the globally 
        recognized annual accountability tool on the status of education 
        internationally, found that an estimated 263,000,000 children and youth 
        are out of school worldwide, with girls still more likely to be out of 
        school than their male peers in most of the developing world;
Whereas a 2015 GEM Report found that two-thirds of the world's out-of-school 
        children live in countries affected by fragility and conflict;
Whereas the 2011 World Health Organization's World Report on Disability has 
        found an estimated 90 percent of children with disabilities under age 18 
        in the developing world do not attend school;
Whereas a 2012 GEM Report found that 250,000,000 primary schoolchildren are 
        failing to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills, 130,000,000 of whom 
        have attended at least 4 years of school;
Whereas a 2011 GEM Report found that educating all students in low-income 
        countries with basic reading skills could lead to 171,000,000 people 
        lifted out of poverty, a 12 percent drop in global poverty;
Whereas a 1999 World Bank study on conflict found every year of school decreases 
        the chance of male youth engaging in violent conflict by 20 percent;
Whereas a 2011 GEM Report found an educated mother is more likely to have her 
        children vaccinated, and girls in school are three times less likely to 
        be infected with HIV than their peers who are not in school;
Whereas the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the only public-private 
        global partnership exclusively dedicated to education in the world's 
        poorest countries;
Whereas GPE eligible countries are home to approximately 870,000,000 children 
        and youth, which represent 78 percent of out-of-school children;
Whereas GPE support resulted in 64,000,000 more children in primary school in 
        2014 than in 2002 and a 10 percent increase in primary school completion 
        over that same period in GPE partner countries;
Whereas GPE support to partner countries has achieved a 71 percent primary 
        completion rate for girls in 2014 compared with 56 percent in 2002;
Whereas 60 percent of GPE's spending is in countries affected by conflict or 
        fragility and helped these countries to increase their primary school 
        completion rates from 58 percent in 2002 to 68 percent in 2014;
Whereas GPE incentivizes developing country governments to increase their own 
        domestic financing for education, which has resulted in partner 
        countries pledging $26,000,000,000 for their own domestic financing 
        during GPE's 2014 replenishment conference;
Whereas support for GPE complements the United States Government's bilateral 
        basic education programs by fostering coordination, among all key 
        partners, ensuring the development of national education sector plans, 
        and building on the commitment of developing country governments;
Whereas, on April 20, 2017, GPE called for a 3-year plan to support 89 
        developing countries in improving the quality of and access to education 
        for 870,000,000 children and youth and provide education plan 
        implementation grants to 67 developing countries, covering 64 percent of 
        out-of-school children; and
Whereas with support from donors, GPE will be able to ensure 19,000,000 more 
        children complete primary school, 6,600,000 more children complete lower 
        secondary school, 1,700,000 more teachers are trained, 23,800 classrooms 
        are built, and 204,000,000 textbooks are distributed, bringing new hope 
        to a generation of children and youth: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) affirms the leadership and commitment of the United 
        States Government to improving access to quality education for 
        the poorest and most marginalized children and youth worldwide, 
        which promotes global stability, economic prosperity, and 
        poverty elimination;
            (2) supports the mission and goals of the GPE to mobilize 
        global and national efforts to contribute to the achievement of 
        equitable, quality education and learning, with a focus on 
        effective and efficient education systems and strong education 
        financing;
            (3) recognizes that United States Government investments in 
        bilateral basic education are complemented by GPE's education 
        systems approach and convening authority; and
            (4) encourages continued commitment and investments by the 
        United States Government, international donors, private 
        foundations, and private sector donors through the GPE to the 
        global effort to promote children and youth are attending 
        school and learning throughout the world.
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