Washington, DC, May 20, 2020 – The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has provided an initial US$60 million for five new grants to support the education of up to 30.5 million children in Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Zambia affected by coronavirus-related school closures, as well as US$7.5 million to ensure countries can benefit from learning and best practices.
Schools remain closed for more than 786 million children in developing countries, which were already facing a deep learning crisis before the pandemic struck. School closures will exacerbate existing inequalities, with girls and disadvantaged children likely to experience greater losses of learning. The economic impacts of the pandemic also pose a huge risk that millions of the most vulnerable children will not be able to resume their education when schools re-open.
"Even short disruptions in learning can have a devastating impact, especially for girls and the most marginalized," said Alice Albright, GPE Chief Executive Officer. "GPE's COVID-19 education grants will help our partner countries ensure that all girls and boys can keep learning through distance education options that reach everyone, and support teachers and schools so that the most vulnerable children are not left behind"
The first grant, for Rwanda, was approved less than a month after GPE announced US$250 million to help countries respond to the immediate and long-term impacts of school closures caused by the pandemic. The five grants will boost governments' efforts to ensure that children can continue learning while schools are closed; support teachers and parents to provide quality learning at home and meet children's psychosocial needs; and prepare schools for safe re-opening. GPE funds will ensure that remote learning reaches the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, including girls, children with special needs and disabilities, and children without access to electricity or internet connectivity.
Ghana will receive US$15 million to support continued learning, recovery and resilience in education. The grant will fund remote learning through radio and TV, online and offline helpdesks to support teachers and students, and an online platform to make educational resources widely available. Pre-loaded content devices will be provided for students with special needs, girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, and children from rural areas and low-income families. Once schools reopen, a back-to-school campaign will encourage at-risk children, particularly girls, to re-enroll, and remedial support will be provided for disadvantaged students. The grant will also train teachers to provide psychosocial support to students, parents and communities. The World Bank is the grant agent in Ghana.
In Malawi, the US$10 million grant will support the government's efforts to ensure distance learning initiatives are accessible to students. GPE funds will be used to purchase solar powered radios and tablets to support innovative digital learning solutions for vulnerable children with limited access to electricity. A toll-free telephone hotline will provide additional support to students and parents who are struggling with their lessons. While schools are closed, teachers and education managers will receive guidance and training on how to teach remotely, and public awareness campaigns will encourage parents to support home-learning. Once schools reopen, the grant will help prepare teachers and provide remedial support to students through assessments, accelerated learning and second chance opportunities. UNICEF is the grant agent in Malawi.
In Mozambique, GPE's grant of US$15 million will help the Ministry of Education set up a crisis management team, provide distance learning programs through radio, television and online education programs and ensure psychosocial support to children experiencing stress, anxiety and trauma caused by school closures. When schools reopen, textbooks will be re-stocked in priority locations and remedial classes will target students who have fallen behind, including those with special educational needs. The grant agent in Mozambique is UNICEF.
In Rwanda, the US$10 million grant will support radio, television and online learning, as well as a public campaign to prevent gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. The grant will also support schools to re-open by equipping them with handwashing facilities, providing meals for at-risk children, and training teachers on school safety. A back-to-school campaign will be launched to educate students and communities on disease prevention and ensure the most vulnerable children – including girls and children with disabilities – return to school. The grant agent in Rwanda is the World Bank.
In Zambia, the US$10 million grant will be used to develop radio learning programs for students and provide radios to disadvantaged children. While schools remain closed, the grant will build the capacity of teachers to deliver remote learning support, monitor the continuity of learning and provide psychosocial support to students. To prepare for the reopening of schools, the grant will help develop dedicated guidelines for school safety and provide clean water for 150 schools. The grant agent in Zambia is UNICEF.
To ensure that countries benefit from shared learning and best practices, particularly on ensuring learning for girls and for children with special needs and disabilities, GPE has also approved an initial grant of US$7.5 million for the development, dissemination and delivery of global and regional learning approaches. This initiative will be jointly implemented by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank in support of government response plans.
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Note to the editors:
Grant applications are based on countries' existing COVID-19 education response plans. GPE previously provided US$8.8 million to support 87 countries to develop these plans.
Since making available US $250 million on April 1st, GPE has received 38 grant applications totaling US$425 million, and 14 additional countries have expressed their intention to apply for grants, bringing the total estimated demand for funding to US$488 million.
About the Global Partnership for Education
The Global Partnership for Education supports close to 70 developing countries to ensure that every child receives a quality basic education, prioritizing the poorest, the most vulnerable and those living in countries affected by fragility or conflict. GPE mobilizes financing for education and supports developing countries to build effective education systems founded on evidence-based planning and policies.
Media contact
Breanna Ridsdel – @email +1 202 458 2842