{"id":91222,"date":"2018-04-19T23:15:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T23:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=a9155f99e60c73d49cec21186461f7be"},"modified":"2018-04-19T23:15:00","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T23:15:00","slug":"news-story-foreign-secretary-launches-platform-for-girls-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=91222","title":{"rendered":"News story: Foreign Secretary launches Platform for Girls’ Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At a launch reception attended by Ms Meghan Markle and HRH Prince Harry, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made his case to global leaders to sign up to 12 years of quality education for the world\u2019s most marginalised girls.<\/p>\n

Britain will lead by example and will provide \u00a3212 million in UK aid money to help one million vulnerable girls across the Commonwealth receive 12 years of quality education by 2030.<\/p>\n

Mr Johnson also launched his Platform for Girls\u2019 Education, a group of 12 influential figures from across the Commonwealth to drive forward the political momentum on girls\u2019 education. The group will hold countries to account and champion best practice across the Commonwealth. Amina Mohammed, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Education will co-chair.<\/p>\n

Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson said:<\/p>\n

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Girls\u2019 education is the Swiss Army knife, the Rosetta Stone, the Black and Decker toolkit that solves a multitude of the world\u2019s problems.<\/p>\n

Educating girls is in all our interests. If we fail, we store up huge problems for the future and wilfully miss out on boosting economic growth, managing population pressures and creating stable, prosperous societies.<\/p>\n

As a Commonwealth we\u2019ve pulled together to make one of the great problems of our time a global priority. We must keep up the momentum, we must drive forward change and we must do everything to ensure that the world\u2019s poorest girls get 12 years of quality education.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Prince Harry and Ms Markle met and spoke with Commonwealth ministers and individuals who work to promote girls\u2019 education worldwide.<\/p>\n

Despite global efforts, poverty, cultural taboos, poor teaching and a lack of resources is shutting the world\u2019s girls out of the classroom. The recently launched Policy Lab will bring the UK\u2019s world-class expertise to help Commonwealth countries deliver for girls \u2013 supporting developing countries to ultimately become self-sufficient and provide quality education. This will begin with a pilot of five countries.<\/p>\n

All children have the right to learn in safe environments. However, in conflict zones schools are often used as bases for the military and become targets. That\u2019s why the UK has this week endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration and is lobbying Commonwealth countries and the wider international community to do the same. This is a real and urgent problem – globally over 130 million girls are not in school, and in conflict areas girls are over twice as likely to be out of school.<\/p>\n

Australia, Ghana, Kenya and Sierra Leone are among other Commonwealth countries that have this week confirmed their own commitments to provide 12 years of quality education for all.<\/p>\n

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See also Special Envoy for Gender Equality Joanna Roper\u2019s blog on the importance of girls\u2019 education<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Further information<\/h2>\n