For the second time, the Global Partnership for Education is bringing together leaders from developing countries, donors, international organizations and private foundations to pledge their support to increase investment in education. As part of its replenishment, the Global Partnership for Education is calling on developed country donors to contribute $3.5billion to the GPE Fund for the period 2015-2018. Developing country governments are asked to show their leadership by increasing their education spending to 20 % of the national budget.
Youth are at the table
One new stakeholder who will be at the replenishment conference on June 26, 2014 is the youth. We have worked hard at the global level and in our home countries to make sure our governments know that we care about what issues they invest (or don’t invest) in - and we want them investing in our future through education.
Young people across the globe know that education is our fundamental and basic human right. We are frustrated that 57 million of our classmates, siblings and friends still remain out of school due to conflict, social barriers and the cost of schooling. Today I am raising my voice to join those who promote education.
School changed my life
I know personally how school has changed my life. Because of school, I gained confidence, learned my rights and have become a global citizen with the responsibility to give back to my community. My wish is that every child, girl or boy, should be able to go to school in a safe environment, to choose when they get married and learn relevant skills when in school so we can contribute to our communities and beyond.
That is why I rallied youth groups in my country of Cameroon to write a letter to the Minister of Basic Education encouraging her to increase the percentage of our national budget from to education from its current level of 16%. to at least 20%. We also asked her to address other challenges - beyond the budget - to help make sure no child in Cameroon is denied an education.
In his message on February 10, 2000, during the 34th National Youth Day, Cameroon’s Head of State announced the abolition of school fees in state primary schools staring in September of that year. This decision implies free access to primary school with the operating costs now assumed by the State. However, across the country parents are still being asked for school fees. A decade later, we have yet to see this policy fully implemented. We must do better, and Cameroon’s youth are ready to make sure that happens.
Youth from across the world call for education as a top priority
My peers and I in Cameroon are not alone. Young people from Australia to Canada, the United Kingdom to Yemen are all adding their voice to a global call to make education a priority for all governments. I am a testament to the power of education. In a country where 1 in 3 girls is likely to be married before her 18th birthday, only 45.5% of girls are enrolled in secondary school.
I know that my government has the capacity, with the right support, to give all girls and boys the education I had.