Western Cape, South Africa
Education is a fundamental human right, however millions of children around the world are denied this right. One out of every five children and youth are out of school and 1 in 4 young people in low-income economies is illiterate implying that they lack the necessary skills to better their living conditions and break the vicious cycle of poverty. Access to education is critical to long term improvements in productivity, demographic transition, preventive health care, the empowerment of women, reductions in inequality and thus sustainable development. In addition to lack of funding at the national level, high cost related to education, lack of skilled teachers, inadequate classroom facilities, exclusion based on gender and disability are some of the factors that limit access to education.
According to Global Partnership for Education, only 20% of aid for education goes to low- income countries but it costs an average of $1.25 a day per child in developing countries to provide 13 years of education. There is currently a $39 billion gap to providing quality education to all children by 2030. For just 15 cents a day per child, the international community can help bridge the financing gap. And, at FSI we are here to work with the global community to leverage opportunities for synergies and work together with governments and policy-makers to make access to education a reality.
As education plays a vital role in molding a nation’s future, we at FSI want to ensure inclusive and quality education for all. We aspire to promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone irrespective of social status. Education, both formal and informal is vital for promoting sustainable development and we want to be part of that by recognizing best and innovative approaches in this field.