[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 240 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 240

Affirming the role of the United States in improving access to quality, 
inclusive public education and improved learning outcomes for children 
   and adolescents, particularly for girls, in the poorest countries 
             through the Global Partnership for Education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 26, 2021

    Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Affirming the role of the United States in improving access to quality, 
inclusive public education and improved learning outcomes for children 
   and adolescents, particularly for girls, 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 United Nations reported that 1,600,000,000 learners in more than 190 
        countries were affected by the closure of educational institutions at 
        the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas prior to the COVID crisis, the 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report, 
        an annual accountability tool on the status of education 
        internationally, found that an estimated 258,000,000 children and 
        adolescents are out of school worldwide, with girls and children with 
        disabilities more likely to be out of school in most of the developing 
        world;
Whereas a 2019 UNICEF Report found that only one in every five children in low-
        income countries has access to preprimary education;
Whereas a 2019 World Bank Report found that more than half of all children in 
        low- and middle-income countries cannot read a simple story by age 10;
Whereas a 2020 UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report found that children and 
        adolescents with a sensory, physical, or intellectual disability are two 
        and a half times more likely to have never been in school than their 
        peers without disabilities;
Whereas a 2018 UNICEF Report found that one in three children and adolescents 
        are out of school in countries affected by conflict or disaster;
Whereas a 2020 UNHCR Report found that almost half of school-age refugee 
        children are out of school and, of the refugee children who do start 
        primary school, less than half make it to secondary school;
Whereas a 2018 World Bank Report found that 12 years of quality education for 
        every girl would boost economies by as much as $30 trillion in increased 
        lifetime earnings and that each year of secondary education for girls 
        reduces the likelihood of marriage before the age of 18 by five 
        percentage points or more;
Whereas the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) was founded in 2002 as the 
        only public-private global partnership exclusively dedicated to 
        education in the world's poorest countries;
Whereas GPE-eligible countries are home to more than 1,000,000,000 children and 
        adolescents, which represent 82 percent of out-of-school children;
Whereas GPE focuses on improving education at a systems level, aligning partners 
        behind each government's education sector plan, to leverage the profound 
        transformations required to deliver at least one year of preschool and 
        12 years of quality education for every child;
Whereas GPE works in the countries with the greatest need, targets the hardest 
        to reach children, and can respond quickly to emergencies;
Whereas educational continuity helps partners keep their education systems 
        functioning through wars, displacement crises, climate disasters and 
        health emergencies, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas GPE is a proven and effective aid delivery mechanism that complements 
        the United States Government's bilateral basic education programs by 
        fostering coordination among all key partners, supporting the 
        development and implementation of strong national education sector 
        plans, and building on the commitment of developing country governments 
        to expand quality educational opportunities for children in an equitable 
        manner;
Whereas the United States is among the leading supporters of GPE, is represented 
        on the GPE Board of Directors, and currently serves the critical role of 
        Coordinating Agent in eight GPE partner countries;
Whereas United States Government Strategy on Basic Education, Fiscal Years 2019 
        through 2023, resolves to leverage GPE to advance its goal of achieving 
        a world where education systems in partner countries enable all 
        individuals to acquire the education and skills needed to be productive 
        members of society;
Whereas GPE is working with Education Cannot Wait, at global and country level, 
        to develop optimized approaches to advance UN Sustainable Development 
        Goal 4 and provide inclusive and equitable quality education for all, 
        especially the most marginalized children in crisis situations;
Whereas primary enrollment for girls has increased by 65 percent and almost 
        three-quarters of partner countries have achieved gender parity in 
        school completion;
Whereas in 40 percent of partner countries, GPE's partnership supports one or 
        more activities relating to children with disabilities;
Whereas GPE is the largest provider of education grants in the global COVID-19 
        response, mobilizing over $500,000,000 to ensure continued learning, 
        school reopenings, and recovery;
Whereas GPE support incentivized governments to save more than $6,000,000,000 
        through more efficient education spending, freeing up more funds to 
        invest in education for the most marginalized;
Whereas more than 60 percent of GPE's spending is in countries affected by 
        conflict or fragility, and GPE helped these countries to increase their 
        primary school completion rates from 58 percent in 2002 to 68 percent in 
        2018;
Whereas GPE's 5-year strategic plan calls for leveraging and further developing 
        innovative finance mechanisms to get every child learning, and extends a 
        strong commitment to gender equality and inclusion across all workings 
        of the partnership, including a new funding window that will raise an 
        additional $250,000,000 for girls' education; and
Whereas with support from donors, GPE will enable 175,000,000 primary-age 
        children to learn, reach 140,000,000 students with professionally 
        trained teachers, get 88,000,000 more children in school, more than half 
        of them girls, and save $16,000,000,000 through more efficient spending: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) affirms the leadership and commitment of the United 
        States Government to improving access to quality, inclusive 
        public education and improved learning outcomes for the poorest 
        and most marginalized children and adolescents worldwide, which 
        promotes global stability, economic prosperity, and poverty 
        elimination;
            (2) supports the vision, mission, and goals of GPE 2025 to 
        appropriately mobilize partnerships and investments that 
        transform education systems in developing countries, leaving no 
        one behind;
            (3) recognizes that United States Government investments in 
        bilateral basic education are complemented by GPE's education 
        systems-level approach and partnership building;
            (4) calls on the United States to engage in multiyear 
        pledges to allow GPE to maximize its impact in supporting 
        governments to provide quality, inclusive public education to 
        children around the world and to leverage contributions from 
        other countries and donors; and
            (5) calls on the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
        of the United States Agency for International Development to 
        commit to promoting children and adolescents attending school 
        and learning throughout the world in accordance with the 2021 
        to 2025 GPE strategic period.
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