Policy brief | Public education works: Five Lessons From Low and Middle-Income Countries

On 27 July 2021, GI-ESCR, together with a group of 36 organisations, released a brief (EN, FR, ES) titled “Public Education Works: Five Lessons From Low and Middle-Income Countries”. The policy brief reviews seven case studies in developing countries, showing that well-organised public education systems are possible everywhere, with political will and use of locally relevant practices.

The brief conveys three key messages:

1. Public education, managed and delivered publicly and in the public interest, is the most effective way to build just, inclusive, and sustainable societies, and to meet SDG 4 and human rights commitments.

2. Using locally relevant practices, strong public education systems are possible in all contexts, including in constrained settings.

3. As a result, public spending and policy efforts, both from governments acting domestically and from donor States and international organisations, must be focused on building strong and free public education systems, and should not be diverted to the private sector, in particular through public-private partnerships.

In a statement accompanying the brief, we call on the Global Partnership for Education to use the money raised during the Global Education Summit (28-29 July), to support free public education and ensure that no funding is used to support commercial actors, in accordance with human rights requirements.