Washington, October 13, 2020. Germany has contributed €25 million (US$29.6 million) to the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) COVID-19 response, enabling millions of children to continue learning during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 has brought unprecedented disruptions to learning around the world,” said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of GPE. “Germany’s commitment to helping millions of children continue to learn during the pandemic is crucial. These funds will support the safe reopening of schools and distance learning programs that prioritize the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.”
“I am delighted that Germany will be supporting the GPE COVID-19 response with 25 million euros in 2020”, stated Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. “These funds will help partner countries to make educational systems gender-responsive and resilient to crisis. Let us use COVID-19 as an opportunity to strengthen international partnerships.”
Germany joined GPE in 2005 and has since, through the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), contributed nearly US$167.8 million to help children around the world receive a quality education. In Guinea for instance, Germany coordinates between the government, GPE and other development partners, civil society and other education actors at country level in its role as coordinating agency.
The Global Partnership for Education supports close to 70 developing countries to ensure that every child receives a quality basic education, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable children and those living in countries affected by fragility or conflict. GPE recently stepped up its response to COVID-19 with a US$500 million emergency fund to help developing countries respond to the immediate and long-term disruptions to education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.