Global Action Week For Education, 26-30 April 2021

The theme for the 2021 Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) is education financing, in-line with the policy framing of the One Billion Voices campaign. Actions and activities undertaken during the week will be focused on securing an increase in the public financing of education to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. 

Recommendations for governments are to:

1. Increase state funding for education to 20% of public expenditure.
2. Increase their tax base in order to increase resources, working towards a minimum tax-to-GDP ratio of 20%.
3. Enable urgent debt cancellation for the least developed countries; and Debt alleviation for middle and upper-middle-income countries.
4. Ensure inclusive education systems through equitable financing and programmes that prioritises the most marginalised.
5. Provide free quality education for all and end the trend towards the privatization and commercialization of education.
6. Improve the quality of teaching through adequate recruitment, remuneration and continued teacher training.
7. Listen and respond to the voices of those affected. Space must be allowed for individuals and civil society to speak up.
8. Developed countries must continue to work towards the goal of 0.7% overseas aid, with 20% of this spent on education, and increasing their contributions to the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait.

Use the campaign materials including the One Billion Voices campaign pack and the GAWE campaign pack to inform national-level advocacy and campaign activities.