Switzerland

View Switzerland’s priority areas for development cooperation in education along with its contributions to the GPE Fund.

Partner since
2009
GPE focal point
Board constituency
Donor 1
Pledge for 2021-2025 replenishment
CHF52,000,000
Total contributions to GPE
US$128,945,040

Aid to education

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs are the two institutions responsible for defining and implementing the Swiss aid program.

Increased funding for basic education and vocational training is one of the 2017-2020 international cooperation priorities for Switzerland.

Switzerland’s basic education focus centers on the following priorities:

  • Ensuring that educational policies cater to young people and adults who were denied access to basic education
  • Improving relevance, quality and results

In 2017, the top recipients of basic education ODA disbursement were: Niger, Mali, Benin, Chad, Lebanon.

Thomas Gass, Head of South Cooperation Department, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Photo credit: GPE/Heather Shuker
An effective education system that is sustainable can only result from collective and coordinated efforts under the supervision of the State. In that respect, GPE represents a major player in ensuring coordination and non-fragmentation of support to education.
Thomas Gass
Head of South Cooperation Department, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
February 2018

Switzerland and GPE

Switzerland is a member of the Grants and Performance Committee.

In 2016, Switzerland designated GPE a priority organization for its international development program.

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