Introducing “Education Out Loud”

Education Out Loud, the new GPE fund to support the work of civil society in advocating for education, was born of the need to accelerate progress toward SDG 4: to educate all the world’s children by the year 2030.

August 15, 2019 by Alice Albright, GPE Secretariat, and Kristian Weise, Oxfam IBIS
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3 minutes read
School visit during the Education Solutions Data Roundtable meeting which took place in The Gambia.
School visit during the Education Solutions Data Roundtable meeting which took place in The Gambia.
Credit: GPE/Jim Cham

This blog was also published by Oxfam Ibis

Developing country governments across the globe have made impressive strides to extend quality education to more of their children. And while these governments are always at the center of those efforts, their job is tougher when they go it alone.

That’s why governments often rely on national and international civil society organizations that help with the enormous and essential task of strengthening their education systems. Civil society partners can play a formative role in shaping education policy that will better serve a wide range of communities, especially of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. They can also help build public support for the government’s long-term education plans and monitor how the government is keeping up with the commitments in those plans.

This is the need Education Out Loud, the Global Partnership for Education’s new advocacy and social accountability fund, intends to meet. Education Out Loud, which is managed by Oxfam IBIS,  supports greater involvement of civil society groups in building strong and sustainable education systems.

With an allocation of US$55.5 million from GPE, Education Out Loud is the largest fund in the world dedicated to support civil society capacity building and engagement in education policy processes. 

Education Out Loud is building on a strong foundation

Education Out Loud was born of the need to accelerate progress toward the ambition of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal: to educate all the world’s children by the year 2030.

Partnership is at the heart of GPE’s approach to strengthening national education systems, and we’ve seen how civil society’s collaboration with government is fundamental to promote the principle of mutual accountability. That’s been the guiding principle behind Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF), financed by GPE, which has for 10 years supported national education coalitions in 62 countries.

The rich experience of CSEF-funded initiatives has informed Education Out Loud, which will provide increased support for a diverse range of actors including national organizations working at the community and grassroots level in GPE developing partner countries, as well as transnational civil society alliances.

Oxfam IBIS is the GPE grant agent for Education Out Loud, bringing a track record of more than 50 years of civil society support in the education sector. Education Out Loud will build on Oxfam IBIS’ extensive experience of transforming education so learners can actively participate irrespective of their socio-economic status, and where students learn about their rights, democratic values and how to be active citizens by influencing policy makers.

How will Education Out Loud support civil society?

By financing the work of an informed and active civil society to advocate for improved education and incentivizing innovation in the field of advocacy and social accountability, Education Out Loud supports good governance of education systems, leading to better outcomes in education.

Education Out Loud supports:

  • national education coalitions’ involvement in education planning, policy dialogue and monitoring;
  • national social accountability efforts to monitor government commitments and mobilize citizens to demand and shape education policies that meet their needs; and
  • transnational advocacy to follow up on commitments related to the right to quality education.

Education Out Loud also promotes capacity building and the long-term goal of sustainability for its grantees.    

Education Out Loud is calling for proposals  

Education Out Loud has just issued its first call for proposals to support national education coalitions in developing countries.

We will issue two additional calls for proposals for national civil society organizations and transnational alliances at the end of 2019 and in mid- 2020.  We encourage civil society groups to join Education Out Loud and engage through the different calls for proposals.

GPE and Oxfam IBIS are excited to be launching this new fund and enabling a stronger civil society contribution to strengthening education systems in developing countries. And with that, more equitable and better learning outcomes for millions of girls and boys.

 

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Comments

This is an opportunity to strengthen and advance the work of civil society groups involved in education advocacy. How I wish this also allows for individual participation. I hope this will add great value to the effort of GPE to make education available to all children and youth around the world. 

In reply to by Daniel Imeli

I agree, it would be great to this expanded to include individual participation.

This type of global- focus on inclusive education requires  commitment;drive and endurance to navigate  untraveled terrain to level the playing fields of education that is a unification tool to interlock the international arena with a common goal.

This is really relevant and timely! 
I look forward to support your quest in many ways possible. Do reach out.

COALITION FOR BETTER AND EQUAL EDUCATION FOR ALL
LETTER OF INQUIRY
Special and warm greetings from the above mentioned CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP. We are a community of 23 different society group from various states of the federation joint together to champion a cause for better Educational policy formulation and implementation for the overall benefits of every citizen in our country.
Please a of ours for the United States of America sent us information about EDUCATION OUT ALOUD, so we are writing to inquire if we in Nigeria can also apply for the this program as well. Please your prompt response to our inquiries will enable us call for a national meeting that enables us apply.
Thanks and remain bless as we wait in anticipation for your positive response.
OKEY COSMOS
CHAIRMAN

APE .S. FELIX
SECRETARY

Please we need more explanation on the C.V aspect for a better understanding because we are at moment confused of what you people mean by "C.V of 2-3 key projects responsible person.

In reply to by Okey Cosmos Ndifon

Thank you for your interest in Education Out Loud. This blog is not monitored for grant application related questions. Please visit the website- www.educationoutloud.org for information on grant applications. If you do not find the answers to your queries, please send your questions directly to info@educationoutloud.org.

I want to salute the EOL fund has done to the kenyan based Elimu yetu coalition.
We can now get reliable information and in time feedbacks from the kakamega county department for education.

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