III 

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; 


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•SRES 240 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 240 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 240 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 240 IS 

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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) affirms the leadership and commitment of 

3 the United States Government to improving access 

4 to quality, inclusive public education and improved 

5 learning outcomes for the poorest and most 

6 marginalized children and adolescents worldwide, 

7 which promotes global stability, economic prosperity, 

8 and poverty elimination; 

9 (2) supports the vision, mission, and goals of 

10 GPE 2025 to appropriately mobilize partnerships 

11 and investments that transform education systems in 

12 developing countries, leaving no one behind; 

13 (3) recognizes that United States Government 

14 investments in bilateral basic education are com15 plemented by GPE’s education systems-level ap16 proach and partnership building; 


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•SRES 240 IS 

1 (4) calls on the United States to engage in 

2 multiyear pledges to allow GPE to maximize its im3 pact in supporting governments to provide quality, 

4 inclusive public education to children around the 

5 world and to leverage contributions from other coun6 tries and donors; and 

7 (5) calls on the Secretary of State and the Ad8 ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter9 national Development to commit to promoting chil10 dren and adolescents attending school and learning 

11 throughout the world in accordance with the 2021 to 

12 2025 GPE strategic period. 

Æ 


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