GPE chief: Kuwait is our newest and strongest donor

The vision of Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is based on ensuring good, equitable, and inclusive education for all, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone.

To fulfill this vision, GPE’s mission depends on mobilizing national and global efforts to contribute to providing education and learning for each and every individual in equitable manner by establishing an inclusive partnership for everybody, and focusing on ways to achieve effective education system and sufficient funding.

Mobilizing Finance

To fulfill such a vision and mission, GPE’s CEO Laura Frigenti has embarked on a Gulf tour, with a first stop in Kuwait for 11 days, during which she held high-level talks on mobilizing finance to contribute to limiting repercussions of education crisis in low-income countries.

In press statements, Frigenti commended the contribution made by Kuwait, as one of GPE-donor countries, in the year 2021, in which it pledged to extending USD 30 million. She also praised Kuwait’s expansion of investments in the education field, and hoped that such a step contributes to diversifying economies, and promoting peaceful and prosperous societies.

Focusing on Education and Tackling Critical Issues

She also noted that the “Kuwait Vision 2035” focuses primarily on education as a catalyst for economic diversification, sustainable growth, and social progress by equipping young people with primarily skills that qualify them for future employments, and meeting the country's needs for development.

On her evaluation of the level of education in Kuwait, Frigenti said that “Kuwait has engaged in a modernizing program that tackles critical issues in its education system such as reforming curriculums, developing national evaluation systems, improving school leadership, and establishing professional standards. Currently, the world needs further partnerships, like ours with Kuwait, to ensure that any country that seeks to increase investment in its education system receives the amount and type of finance it needs to enable more girls and boys to have access to education and improve their learning skills”.

Intensifying Participations

On Arab states’ contribution to enhancing the education process in low-income nations, Frigenti affirmed that despite the growing needs for a quality education, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and economic challenges, Gulf states have sought to reinforce their support to global education efforts by taking part in major international events such as the forthcoming Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), to be hosted by United Arab of Emirates.

She also mentioned that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have recently become two of the new GPE-donor nations, and have, by doing so, laid the cornerstone of long-term cooperation and investment.

The rest of Gulf states seek to counter education issues and quality the youth for countering future challenges, especially since unemployment rate has recently seen an increase by 25 percent among young men, and 40 percent among young women, said Frigenti.

The repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic have exacerbated the issue even worse, she noted, warning that neglecting the plight of education around the world would negatively affect an entire generation, leaving governments face dire consequences.

Frigenti concluded her statements by discussing her work in the field of international development, saying: “I have joined GPE at a pivotal time. When the education crisis worsened, its losses increased and economic difficulties rose. It was also during the time when the priorities of donors and government budgets shifted into the wrong direction. Therefore, education is the greatest equalizer and cannot be left as educated individuals are the best potentials for nations that seek to enhance their human capital”.

It is worth mentioning that GPE is an international organization that focuses on providing a good education for all children in poorest countries of the world. It works and cooperates with developing nations, donors, international organizations, civil societies, educators organizations, private sectors, and foundations.