Draft Concept Note, Objectives and Program

Asia Pacific Regional Dialogue on Decolonising Education Financing
31 May 2023 | 2:00 - 4:30 PM Manila TimeRegistration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApf-irrDgoH9TdWKd2nSiuexSpcl5m7DJG
The Asia Pacific region is facing a significant education financing gap, which is limiting access toquality education for many students. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant
impact on education financing in the region, with many countries facing reduced budgets andincreased pressure, contraction of the economy, sharp falls in government revenues, narrowing
fiscal space, increasing debt servicing, and declining ODA.
According to the Education Finance Watch report (2022), bilateral donors decreased their aid
earmarked for education by USD 349 million from 2019 to 2020. Over a decade, the share ofearmarked aid to education has declined and remained way below the required resources tocover the financing gap to meet the SDG 4 targets. Overall, aid has remained at about 0.3% of thedonor countries’ gross national income (GNI) over the last 15 years, which falls short of theinternationally agreed 0.7% of the GNI that should be devoted to aid.
Debt servicing has also become an even more serious concern, especially for heavily indebted
countries that face competing challenges in allocating limited resources to recover from theCOVID-19 pandemic and fund quality public services. The alarming costs of debt servicing haveincreased significantly relative to national public expenditures on essential services. UNCTAD
reports that countries are spending more on debt servicing than on health care and education(2023). Developing countries will be paying almost USD 1 trillion in debt-servicing in the periodof 2020-2021 (ActionAid, 2021).
Just as significant, resources are lost in illicit funding flows, tax avoidance, corporate tax holidays,
and other incentive packages that only benefit big businesses. The Tax Justice Network ( 2021)
reported that countries are losing a total of USD 483 billion in tax a year to global tax abusecommitted by multinational corporations and wealthy individuals. This is composed of USD 312
billion lost due to cross-border corporate tax abuse and USD 171 billion due to offshore tax abuse
by wealthy individuals. Lower-income countries continue to suffer, losing the largest share ofcurrent tax revenues, which could have contributed to the provision of public services.
Education financing has been a core advocacy of ASPBAE since the EFA campaign period and into
the SDGs. ASPBAE and national education coalition members have been actively and consistently
engaging in the annual Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) since its inception. The GAWE
2023 is a key moment for the education movement in which members of the Global Campaign forEducation (GCE) and education stakeholders highlight one area of the agenda of Education For
All and carry out targeted advocacy and campaigning efforts together.
With the slogan “Investing in a Just World: Decolonising Education Financing Now," the 2023
GAWE will galvanise attention and action towards the Transforming Education Summit (TES)
finance agenda and Financing Call to Action on Investing More, More Equitably and More

Efficiently in Education. Recognising that Sustainable Development Goal 4 will not be realised by2030 without a significant and well-targeted increase in financing, it is critical that we look intoenduring structures of “power dynamics between national governments and international
donors, lenders and financial institutions.”
Decolonising education financing involves reimagining and challenging the ways in which
education systems are being funded and by whom. This means moving away from the dominant
top-down financing model and instead empowering local communities to have more control over
how funds are allocated. This will involve advocating for a more equitable distribution ofresources and funding so that all learners, especially marginalised ones, can access qualityeducation. This will also entail lobbying for funds that will put in place education reforms thatrecognise local/indigenous wisdom and knowledge systems and diverse learning systems.
The TES Finance Agenda makes clear that, to finance education, urgent actions must be taken to
expand tax-to-GDP ratios through progressive tax reforms and international action for tax justice,
demand renegotiation or cancellation wherever countries spending more on servicing debt thanfinancing education and other essential services, enhance domestic resource mobilisation, andeliminate austerity policies, all while striving to reach the share of public expenditure on
education towards the international benchmarks of at least 4-6% of GDP and/or 15-20% of publicexpenditure.
The Asia Pacific Regional Dialogue on Decolonising Education Financing, therefore, aimsto:• To assess the current scenario of education financing in the Asia Pacific region and sharethe country contexts, challenges, and recommendations in addressing the education
financing gap in select countries in the region•To increase awareness and facilitate dialogue among civil society organisations, youth,government, and academics, on the challenges and opportunities in decolonising andincreasing education financing in the region•

To amplify the GAWE demands and mobilise actions to prioritise education financing tosupport the development of policies and practices that promote equitable access to
education for all learners

Key questions to be examined:• What are some concrete actions that the government can take to prioritize increased
financing for education, including progressive actions on debt and aid effectiveness,among others? How can we ensure that education financing and aid initiatives areaccountable and transparent and that they are responsive to local needs and priorities aswell as promote diversity in education?
•

What is the context of education financing in the country? What role can civil society, local
ownership, and agency play in shaping education financing systems and aid initiatives,and how can we support them to engage in these efforts?

•What approaches can be taken to address issues of gender and equity in education
financing and aid, and how can we ensure that marginalized groups, including youth, areincluded and supported?

•How is the current financing of education systems perpetuating colonial power relations?
How do power dynamics shape education financing, aid and trade relationships, and how
can we shift power to local communities to better support their needs and priorities? How
can we actively work to undo these harmful legacies?

Proposed Agenda
2:00- 2:05 PM

Welcome, Objectives, Program

2:05- 2:10 PM

Opening Remarks

2:10- 2:20 PM

Overview of the Education Financing in the Asia Pacific Region:
Current Scenario

2:20- 2:35 PMDecolonising Education Financing in the Asia Pacific Region:
Challenges and Opportunities

2:35- 2:50 PM

Increasing and Strengthening Education Spending from theGovernment Perspective

2:50- 3:00 PM

Decolonising Education Systems and Financing from the Academe’s
Perspective

3:00- 3:05 PM

Break

3:05- 3:20 PM

Sharing of Country Contexts and Experiences from CED Sri Lanka andKOBLE-VANGO (7 minutes each)

3:20- 3:30 PM

Youth Perspective on Decolonizing Education Financing from NCE
Nepal (7 minutes)

3:30- 4:00 PM

Open Forum

4:10- 4:20 PM

Synthesis and Closing