SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Throughout the world, an alarming number 
of children and youth are not receiving a basic edu-
cation. According to the Global Monitoring Report, 
approximately 57,000,000 children of primary school 
age are not in school and tens of millions drop out 
of school annually. Globally, progress is slowing, and 
if current trends continue, there could be as many 
as 72,000,000 children of primary school age out of 
school in 2015. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the 
number of primary age children out of school has re-
mained at approximately 30,000,000 over the past 
five years. Additionally, there were an estimated 
69,000,000 adolescents not enrolled in school in 
2011 and an estimated 122,000,000 youth (15 to 24 
years old) who could not read and write in 2010, 
needing a second chance to acquire even basic lit-
eracy and numeracy skills. 
(2) Of the approximately 57,000,000 children 
of primary school age and 69,000,000 adolescents of 
lower secondary school age who were not in school 
in 2011, 53 percent were girls. The proportion of 
out-of-school primary age girls is highest in Arab 
states, Central Asia, South and West Asia, and sub- 
Saharan Africa. Over half of the world’s out-of- 
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school children live in sub-Saharan Africa, and more 
than 28,000,000 live in countries affected by con-
flict. A significant number of such children have 
been orphaned or otherwise negatively affected by 
HIV/AIDS, while others have been victims of child 
labor or human trafficking. Of the estimated 
120,000,000 to 150,000,000 children with disabil-
ities under the age of 18 around the world, an esti-
mated 98 percent of children with disabilities in de-
veloping countries do not attend school. Without ac-
cess to quality education, such children will not have 
the skills to contribute to reconstruction and sta-
bilization of their countries. 
(3) The final report of the National Commis-
sion on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States 
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Re-
port’’) concluded that education that teaches toler-
ance, the dignity and value of each individual, and 
respect for different beliefs must be a key element 
in any global strategy to eliminate terrorism. The 
Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Com-
mission on Smart Power determined that ‘‘education 
is the best hope of turning young people away from 
violence and extremism’’. 
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(4) The vision for educational opportunity de-
scribed in the Report to all developing countries, in-
cluding countries affected by armed conflict, is crit-
ical to achieve the Education for All Goals and pre-
vent the rise of violent extremism worldwide. 
(5) The Report concluded that the United 
States Government must offer an example of moral 
leadership in the world and offer parents and their 
children a vision of the future that emphasizes indi-
vidual educational and economic opportunity. 
(6) The Report noted that the United Nations 
has rightly equated ‘‘literacy as freedom’’, and while 
gains have been made in Arab states in reducing the 
out-of-school population, an estimated 25 percent of 
the adult population in the Arab states, or 
50,286,000 people, lack basic literacy or numeracy 
skills needed in everyday life. 
(7) The Report concluded that ensuring edu-
cational opportunity is essential to the efforts of the 
United States to defeat global terrorism. 
(8) At the World Education Forum held in 
Dakar, Senegal, in 2000, the United States joined 
more than 180 other countries in committing to the 
6 Education For All goals, including quality uni-
versal basic education. 
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(9) Since the World Education Forum in 2000, 
the number of children out of school has decreased 
at an average approximate rate of more than 
4,090,000 children per year. Despite this progress, 
the goal of achieving quality universal basic edu-
cation will not be met, and 72,000,000 children may 
still be out of school by 2015, while millions of chil-
dren in school are not acquiring foundational skills 
in literacy and numeracy. 
(10) In fiscal year 2012, the United States 
Agency for International Development’s bilateral as-
sistance helped to deliver a quality basic education 
to approximately 23,000,000 learners enrolled in 
United States Government-supported primary and 
secondary schools around the world. USAID has ex-
pertise in a number of key areas, including teacher 
training, reaching marginalized groups and quality 
measurement and has provided technical assistance 
to governments in order to create sustainable edu-
cational systems. 
(11) Basic education is fundamental to develop-
ment. No country has reached sustained economic 
growth without achieving near universal primary 
education. Quality education reduces poverty and in-
equity, lays the foundation for sound governance, 
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civic participation, and strong institutions, and 
equips people with the knowledge, skills, and self-re-
liance they need to increase income and expand op-
portunities for employment. 
(12) Investing in girls’ education and skills 
building programs not only delivers substantial re-
turns in educational attainment but also empowers 
girls to address conditions of poverty, low status, 
and social norms by increasing women’s and house-
hold incomes, delaying the start of sexual activity, 
reducing infant mortality, increasing women’s polit-
ical participation, spurring economic growth, and de-
laying marriage. 
(13) Education can help to protect children in 
conflict situations from physical harm, exploitation, 
and sexual abuse, as well as to avoid the recruitment 
of children into armed groups and gangs, and pro-
mote good governance and poverty reduction. Addi-
tionally, every additional year of schooling for males 
can reduce their risk of becoming involved in conflict 
by 20 percent. 
(14) In front line states, education remains a 
significant challenge. Of the 57,000,000 children of 
primary school age who are out of school, 
28,000,000, or 42 percent, are in conflict-affected 
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poor countries. In Yemen, nearly 80 percent of girls 
are unlikely to enroll in school, and in Afghanistan, 
girls average only 4 years of schooling. 
(15) Multilateral mechanisms have been proven 
to marshal critical resources to reach global develop-
ment challenges. Funds that are transparent, in-
crease partnership and coordination among govern-
ments, private sector, and civil society, support na-
tional plans, are monitored for results, and hold all 
stakeholders accountable have been effective at pro-
viding resources to reach global challenges. 
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO ACHIEVE QUALITY UNIVERSAL 
BASIC EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amend-
ed by inserting after section 105 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 105A. ASSISTANCE TO ACHIEVE QUALITY UNIVERSAL 
BASIC EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
ensure that United States resources and leadership are 
utilized in a way to best ensure a successful international 
effort to provide all children with a quality basic education 
in order to achieve the goal of quality universal basic edu-
cation agreed to at the World Education Forum held in 
Dakar, Senegal, in 2000. 
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‘‘(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 
to work with other countries and international and local 
civil society organizations in order to achieve quality uni-
versal basic education by— 
‘‘(1) assisting developing countries to provide 
all children with a quality basic education, including 
through strengthening host countries’ educational 
systems; 
‘‘(2) assisting nongovernmental and multilateral 
organizations working in developing countries to pro-
vide all children with a quality basic education; and 
‘‘(3) promoting education as the foundation for 
communities’ development, including integrating en-
trepreneurial and leadership training, disaster pre-
paredness, conflict and violence prevention and miti-
gation, disease prevention and treatment, economic 
growth and agricultural activities, early childhood 
development, and democracy promotion into holistic 
assistance programs. 
‘‘(c) PRINCIPLES.—In developing the policy referred 
to in subsection (b), the United States shall be guided by 
the following principles: 
‘‘(1) UNITED STATES RESOURCES.—To lead a 
global commitment to achieving quality universal 
basic education in developing countries, including in 
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countries affected by or emerging from armed con-
flict or humanitarian crises, the United States shall 
commit sufficient resources for education in devel-
oping countries to equitably expand access to quality 
educational opportunity and inspire confidence in 
such countries that efforts to reform education will 
receive adequate assistance. 
‘‘(2) INTEGRATED BILATERAL AND MULTILAT-
ERAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.— 
United States assistance shall integrate bilateral and 
multilateral assistance modalities within the strategy 
developed pursuant to subsection (e), to be directly 
responsive to host country needs, capacity, and com-
mitment, and lead to sustainable development. The 
United States shall engage on a multilateral basis in 
a manner that leverages overall impact and best re-
inforces United States bilateral aid efforts, which 
are central to United States efforts in basic edu-
cation. Bilateral and multilateral assistance should 
be undertaken in close partnership with nongovern-
mental organizations and other development part-
ners, including women-led groups. 
‘‘(3) UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO MULTI-
LATERAL
EDUCATION
INITIATIVES.—The United 
States shall support multilateral coordination and fi-
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nancing education initiatives, including the Global 
Partnership for Education (GPE). United States as-
sistance shall build upon its comparative advantages 
and proficiencies in basic education programs, while 
leveraging the efforts of existing country-level devel-
opment 
partnerships. 
Multilateral 
mechanisms 
should be aligned with globally established aid effec-
tiveness principles, including— 
‘‘(A) alignment with recipient country pri-
orities, education plans, and planning processes; 
‘‘(B) governance shared by donors, devel-
oping country governments, and civil society; 
‘‘(C) coordination among governments, 
multilateral organizations, private sector, and 
civil society; 
‘‘(D) mutual accountability between donors 
and recipients for achieving measurable results 
in access and quality; 
‘‘(E) transparency with respect to financ-
ing, policy decisions, and impact; and 
‘‘(F) sufficient, predictable resources dis-
bursed in a timely manner. 
‘‘(4) OTHER
MAJOR
DONORS.—The United 
States Government should encourage other donors to 
contribute commensurate amounts to support quality 
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universal basic education, through bilateral and mul-
tilateral mechanisms and to coordinate their efforts 
with recipient countries, private entities, and other 
donors, in line with the principles of the Paris Dec-
laration. 
‘‘(5) 
PRIVATE
SECTOR
AND
NONGOVERN-
MENTAL
PARTICIPATION
AND
CONTRIBUTIONS.— 
United States efforts shall include explicit strategies 
to encourage and integrate contributions of strategic 
direction and financial resources from local and 
international private sector and civil society organi-
zations, including organizations that represent 
teachers, students, and parents, interested in sup-
porting quality universal basic education efforts. 
‘‘(6) SCHOOL ACCESS, QUALITY, AND COMPLE-
TION.—United States assistance for basic education 
in developing countries shall seek— 
‘‘(A) to expand access to quality schools 
and teachers for all children, particularly 
marginalized and vulnerable groups, including 
girls, children affected by or emerging from 
armed conflict or humanitarian crises, children 
with disabilities, children in remote or rural 
areas, including those that lack access to safe 
water and sanitation, religious or ethnic minori-
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ties, indigenous peoples, orphans and children 
impacted by HIV/AIDS, child laborers, married 
adolescents and victims of trafficking; 
‘‘(B) to promote gender equity; and 
‘‘(C) to improve the quality of education, 
including foundational skills in literacy and 
numeracy, critical thinking, and civic education 
in order to increase the number of children 
completing and benefitting from a basic edu-
cation. 
‘‘(7) COORDINATION
WITHIN
THE
UNITED 
STATES GOVERNMENT.—The United States Govern-
ment, led by the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, shall support improved co-
ordination and collaboration among all departments 
and agencies of the United States Government in-
volved in providing assistance for basic education to 
developing countries to ensure efficient and effective 
use of the resources, including efforts to provide a 
continuity of assistance for basic education in hu-
manitarian and other emergency situations. 
‘‘(8) SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES OF LEARN-
ING.—The United States shall support the coordina-
tion of development assistance for the holistic devel-
opment of communities, and where appropriate, uti-
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lize schools as the foundation for communities’ de-
velopment and integrate assistance programs, in-
cluding health and development programs, nutrition 
and school feeding programs, sanitation and hygiene 
education, adult literacy, leadership development, 
prevention of school-related violence, entrepreneurial 
training, agricultural extension work, civic edu-
cation, and housing programs. 
‘‘(9) COORDINATION
WITH
NATIONAL
EDU-
CATION PLANS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAMS.—United States assistance for basic edu-
cation in developing countries shall be provided in 
collaboration and coordination with, where possible, 
national education plans, to reduce poverty and spur 
sustained economic growth, including through the 
promotion of the value of education and increasing 
community and family awareness of the positive im-
pact of education. The United States shall seek to 
encourage developing countries to utilize schools as 
platforms for the development of communities. Such 
assistance should support programs and activities 
that are appropriate for and meet the needs of the 
local and indigenous cultures and carry out pro-
grams and activities through implementation by 
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country-based civil society organizations that sup-
port national education plans. 
‘‘(10) MEASURING OUTCOMES.—United States 
assistance for basic education in developing coun-
tries shall include sufficient resources for monitoring 
and evaluating the effectiveness and quality of basic 
education programs. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Appropriations and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen-
ate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Appropriations and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives. 
‘‘(2) HIV/AIDS.—The term ‘HIV/AIDS’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 104A(h). 
‘‘(3) BASIC EDUCATION.—The term ‘basic edu-
cation’— 
‘‘(A) means an education, generally con-
sisting of completion of 9–10 years of schooling, 
including efforts to improve early childhood de-
velopment, primary education, secondary edu-
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cation, literacy and numeracy training, and life- 
skills training that prepares an individual to be 
an active, productive member of society and the 
workforce; and 
‘‘(B) includes efforts to facilitate and sup-
port the activities described in subparagraph 
(A), including efforts to— 
‘‘(i) build the institutional capacity of 
a country to manage basic education sys-
tems and measure results; 
‘‘(ii) 
construct 
and 
rehabilitate 
schools; 
‘‘(iii) train quality teachers; 
‘‘(iv) increase parent and community 
involvement in schools; 
‘‘(v) provide learning materials; and 
‘‘(vi) develop curricula. 
‘‘(4) GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘Global Partnership for Education’ means 
the organization formally known as the Fast-Track 
Initiative launched in 2002 to mobilize donor re-
sources and accelerate progress toward the achieve-
ment of Education for All, an international commit-
ment to bring the benefits of basic education to 
every individual. 
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‘‘(5) NATIONAL EDUCATION PLAN.—The term 
‘national education plan’ means a comprehensive na-
tional education plan that— 
‘‘(A) may be developed in accordance with 
the provisions of the Global Partnership for 
Education; and 
‘‘(B) includes explicit, credible strategies 
informed by effective practices and standards to 
achieve quality universal basic education, in-
cluding strategies to— 
‘‘(i) address key constraints to achiev-
ing universal basic education in the areas 
of access, policy, data, capacity, gender eq-
uity, learning, sustainability of efforts, and 
financing; and 
‘‘(ii) coordinate priorities within the 
elements of basic education, such as early 
childhood development, primary education, 
and secondary education (delivered in for-
mal and non-formal settings), and training 
in literacy, numeracy, and other basic 
skills, including life and leadership skills, 
for adults and out-of-school youth, and pri-
orities between basic education, workforce 
development, and higher education. 
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