Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about removing barriers to education worldwide.

All children around the world should have access to a good education. I am concerned that the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the structural barriers to education, with Save the Children estimating that a further 2.5 million girls are now at risk of child marriage by 2025. It has also said many girls are dropping out of school in order to work, with far less chance than boys of ever returning to education. We need urgent action to prevent this education crisis from worsening.

With the UK hosting the G7 summit and COP26 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference) this year, as well as co-hosting the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education, we have an opportunity to focus on the issue of educational equality.

While the UK Government has said strengthening the delivery of quality education around the world is an important part of its agenda, I am worried about the impact of its decision to reduce aid spending from the legally binding target of 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5% in 2021. This is despite its manifesto pledge to maintain the 0.7% commitment.

I am concerned this decision signals a retreat from the world stage and will make it harder for the UK to create a better world for us all. Alarmingly, Save the Children has estimated aid spending on education in 2021-22 will be 33% lower than in 2019-20. I will continue to oppose the decision to reduce the UK’s aid budget.

I agree with you about the importance of ending violence against children, and I firmly believe this should take centre stage in the UK’s development work. This should include preventative policies to protect children from becoming victims of violence in the first place.

The UK has signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include ending all forms of violence against children, and providing inclusive, quality education for all by 2030. I believe the SDGs are important universal goals, and every country has a responsibility to contribute towards pursuing them.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP