Making education accessible in partner countries

Support to make quality education accessible to all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia has been strengthened with funding of £356,000 from Scottish Government for the Inclusive Education Policy Academy.

The Academy forms part of the World Bank’s Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) programme and is a hands-on professional development programme designed to improve access to education for some of these countries’ most marginalised groups, such as learners with additional support needs and women.

The launch marks the Scottish Government’s first participation in a World Bank programme and underlines the Programme for Government commitment to fostering inclusive education practices globally and supporting its partner countries in achieving equitable access to quality education.

International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said:

"We’re committed to supporting inclusive education worldwide and the World Bank's FLC programme will help us take a significant step towards providing quality education for all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia, including marginalised groups.

“By providing resources into this transformative initiative, we will empower educators in our Global South partner countries to create environments where every learner can thrive.

“We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Academy will have on the lives of millions of people across the world, and particularly in our partner countries through our new partnership and funding.

“The support fits with our broader commitment to education programming as we strive towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with increasing access for marginalised groups, which include girls and learners with additional support needs.”

Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education, said:

“We are thrilled that the FLC is the first World Bank fund to receive support from the Scottish Government.

“Children everywhere will welcome this new ally in the fight to strengthen and improve inclusive access to quality education. We look forward to working with our Scottish partners on this critical initiative.” 

Background

UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 is a global commitment to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, a vision the Scottish Government shares.

The World Bank's Foundational Learning Compact is a global programme active in 86 countries, aimed at reducing learning poverty in low and middle income countries.

FLC initiatives include better evidence, data, analysis, and the provision of technical assistance to improve learning outcomes at scale and support needed systemic reforms.

The World Bank's Foundational Learning Compact is a global programme active in 86 countries, aimed at reducing learning poverty – the share of children who cannot read and comprehend an age-appropriate passage by the age of 10 – in low- and middle-income countries. FLC initiatives include better evidence, data, analysis, and the provision of technical assistance to improve learning outcomes at scale and support needed systemic reforms.

The Inclusive Education Policy Academy is one of FLC's global offerings and is supported by Scottish Government funding.

The Academy’s activity will take place in Scottish Government’s International Development partner countries, Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia.