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. At least 72,000,000 children of primary 
school age are not in school and tens of millions 
drop out of school annually. If current trends con-
tinue, 56,000,000 children will still be out of school 
in 2015. There are an estimated additional 
71,000,000 children and youth of secondary school 
age currently out of school. 
(2) Of the approximately 72,000,000 children 
of primary school age and 71,000,000 of secondary 
school age who are not in school, nearly 3 in 5 are 
girls. The proportion of out-of-school primary age 
girls is highest in Arab states, Central Asia and 
South and West Asia. Almost one-half of out-of- 
school children live in sub-Saharan Africa and nearly 
40,000,000 live in countries affected by conflict and 
fragility. 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. Without access to qual-
ity education, such children will not have the skills 
to contribute to reconstruction and stabilization of 
their countries. 
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(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’’. 
(4) Extending the vision of educational oppor-
tunity described in the Report to all developing 
countries, including countries affected by armed con-
flict, is critical to achieve the United Nations Millen-
nium Development Goals and prevent the rise of vio-
lent 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 
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out-of school population, an estimated 29 percent of 
the adult population in the Arab states, or 
58,000,000 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 and rec-
ommended that the United States Government 
‘‘should offer to join with other nations in gener-
ously supporting [spending funds] . . . directly on 
building and operating primary and secondary 
schools in those Muslim states that commit to sen-
sibly investing financial resources in public edu-
cation’’. 
(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 
goal of universal basic education by 2015. Universal 
completion of primary school and eliminating gender 
disparity in all levels of education not later than 
2015 are part of the United Nations Millennium De-
velopment Goals. 
(9) Since the World Education Forum in 2000, 
the number of children out of school has decreased 
at an average approximate rate of 4,000,000 chil-
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dren per year. Despite this progress, the goal of 
achieving universal basic education will not be met 
and 56,000,000 children will still be out of school by 
2015. 
(10) Credible estimates indicate that approxi-
mately $16,000,000,000 per year of financing assist-
ance is necessary for developing countries to achieve 
universal basic education by 2015. 
(11) The United States Agency for Inter-
national Development’s bilateral assistance has 
helped to deliver a quality basic education to 41 mil-
lion learners enrolled in United States Government- 
supported primary schools around the world. USAID 
has expertise in a number of key areas, including 
teacher training, reaching marginalized groups and 
quality measurement and has provided technical as-
sistance to governments in order to create sustain-
able educational systems. 
(12) Multilateral mechanisms have been proven 
to marshal significant resources to reach global de-
velopment challenges. Funds that are transparent, 
increase coordination among governments, private 
sector and civil society, support national plans and 
hold all stakeholders accountable have been effective 
at providing resources to reach global challenges. 
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(13) Basic education has been demonstrated to 
be fundamental to development. No country has 
reached sustained economic growth without achiev-
ing near universal primary education. Quality edu-
cation reduces poverty and inequality, lays the foun-
dation for sound governance, civic participation, and 
strong institutions and equips people with the knowl-
edge, skills and self-reliance they need to increase in-
come and expand opportunities for employment. 
(14) Investing in girls’ education delivers sub-
stantial returns not only in educational attainment 
but also in increasing women’s incomes, delaying the 
start of sexual activity, reducing infant mortality, in-
creasing women’s political participation, and spur-
ring economic growth. 
(15) 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. 
(16) In front-line states, education remains a 
significant challenge. In Yemen, nearly 80 percent of 
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girls are unlikely to enroll in school, and in Afghani-
stan girls average only 4 years of schooling. 
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDU-
CATION. 
(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 UNIVERSAL BASIC 
EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
ensure that the United States provides the resources and 
leadership to ensure a successful international effort to 
provide all children with a quality basic education in order 
to achieve the goal of universal basic education by 2015 
agreed to at the World Education Forum held in Dakar, 
Senegal in 2000. 
‘‘(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 
to work with other countries and international and civil 
society organizations in order to achieve universal basic 
education by— 
‘‘(1) assisting developing countries to provide 
all children with a quality basic education, including 
through strengthening host countries’ educational 
systems; 
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‘‘(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, economic 
growth and agricultural activities, 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 universal basic edu-
cation in developing countries, including in countries 
affected by or emerging from armed conflict or hu-
manitarian crises, the United States shall commit 
substantial new resources for education in devel-
oping countries to expand access to quality edu-
cational opportunity and inspire confidence in such 
countries that efforts to reform education will re-
ceive adequate resources. 
‘‘(2) INTEGRATED BILATERAL AND MULTILAT-
ERAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.— 
United States assistance shall integrate bilateral and 
multilateral assistance modalities within the strategy 
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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 should contribute on a multilateral 
basis in a manner that leverages overall impact and 
best reinforces United States bilateral aid efforts, 
which should remain central to United States efforts 
in basic education. Bilateral and multilateral aid 
should be undertaken in close partnership with non-
governmental organizations and other development 
partners. 
‘‘(3) UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO MULTI-
LATERAL
EDUCATION
INITIATIVES.—The United 
States shall seek to support a multilateral coordina-
tion and financing education initiative, which may 
include a reformed Education for All Fast-Track 
Initiative or a Multilateral Global Fund for Edu-
cation. United States assistance shall build upon its 
comparative advantages and proficiencies in basic 
education programs. A reformed Education for All 
Fast-Track Initiative or a Multilateral Global Fund 
for Education should be established as an inde-
pendent entity that is governed equally by donor and 
developing country governments and civil society and 
should be based on the following principles: 
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‘‘(A) Transparency with respect to financ-
ing, key policy decisions, and impact. 
‘‘(B) Coordination among governments, 
private sector, and civil society. 
‘‘(C) Mutual accountability between donors 
and recipients for achieving measurable results 
in access and quality. 
‘‘(D) Alignment with host country prior-
ities. 
‘‘(E) Predictable, long-term funding dis-
bursed in a timely manner. 
‘‘(4) OTHER
MAJOR
DONORS.—The United 
States Government shall encourage other donors to 
contribute commensurate amounts to support uni-
versal basic education, through bilateral or multilat-
eral mechanisms and to coordinate their efforts with 
recipient countries, private entities and other donors, 
in line with the principles of the Paris Declaration. 
‘‘(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 indigenous 
and international private sector and civil society or-
ganizations, including organizations that represent 
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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 to expand access 
to quality schools and teachers for all children, par-
ticularly marginalized and vulnerable groups, includ-
ing girls, children affected by or emerging from 
armed conflict or humanitarian crises, disabled chil-
dren, children in remote or rural areas, religious or 
ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, orphans and 
children impacted by HIV/AIDS, child laborers and 
victims of trafficking, and to improve the quality of 
education in order to increase the number of chil-
dren 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 
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continuity of assistance for basic education in hu-
manitarian and other emergency situations. 
‘‘(8) SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES OF LEARN-
ING.—United States assistance shall support the co-
ordination of development assistance for the holistic 
development of communities, and where appropriate, 
utilize schools as the foundation for communities’ 
development and integrate assistance programs, in-
cluding health and development programs, such as 
nutrition, school feeding programs, community gar-
dens, adult literacy, entrepreneurial and agricultural 
training, democracy education and housing pro-
grams. 
‘‘(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. 
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‘‘(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) HIV/AIDS.—The term ‘HIV/AIDS’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 104A(h). 
‘‘(2) 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. 
‘‘(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-
cation, literacy and numeracy training, and life- 
skills training that prepares an individual to be 
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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) EDUCATION FOR ALL FAST-TRACK INITIA-
TIVE.—The term ‘Education for All Fast-Track Ini-
tiative’ means the Fast-Track Initiative launched in 
2002 to mobilize donor resources and accelerate 
progress toward the achievement of the United Na-
tions Millennium Development Goal of Education for 
All by 2015, an international commitment 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 Education For All Fast- 
Track Initiative; and 
‘‘(B) includes explicit, credible strategies to 
achieve universal basic education, including 
strategies to— 
‘‘(i) address key constraints to achiev-
ing universal basic education in the areas 
of policy, data, capacity, 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 nonformal settings), and training 
in literacy, numeracy and other basic 
skills, including lifeskills, for adults and 
out-of-school youth, and priorities between 
basic education, workforce development 
and higher education. 
‘‘(6) PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT.—The term ‘psy-
chosocial support’ has the meaning given that term 
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in the first section 135 (relating to assistance for or-
phans and other vulnerable children). 
‘‘(7) RELEVANT EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES 
AND
OFFICIALS.—The term ‘relevant executive 
branch agencies and officials’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Department of State, the United 
States Agency for International Development, 
the Department of the Treasury, the Depart-
ment of Labor, the Department of Education, 
the Department of Health and Human Services, 
the Department of Agriculture, and the Depart-
ment of Defense; 
‘‘(B) the Chief Executive Officer of the 
Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Coordi-
nator of United States Government Activities to 
Combat HIV/AIDS Globally, the National Secu-
rity Advisor, the Director of the Peace Corps, 
and the National Economic Advisor; and 
‘‘(C) any other department, agency, or offi-
cial of the United States Government that par-
ticipates in activities to promote universal basic 
education pursuant to the authorities of such 
department, agency, or official or pursuant to 
this Act. 
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