An ambitious $5 billion funding drive to rebuild education networks across 87 hard-hit countries will launch next year as promoters hope to reverse the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is seeking funds to assist countries to transform education for hundreds of millions of pupils in the face of an anticipated budgetary squeeze as a result of the predicted global recession.
Alice Albright, the chief executive of the GPE, told The National that a three-point plan could reverse not only the damage caused by the pandemic, but also the growing problem of hundreds of millions of children losing out on schooling.
"One is to help countries invest in distance learning, two is to help train more teachers and three is to help countries reopen schools safely," she said. "We are campaigning to get children back into school because one of the things that we worry about is that some children will never go back to school."
A report from Unesco in July warned that development aid assistance for education was vulnerable to cuts when the pandemic effect on national budgets was felt.
"Just as aid to education seemed to have recovered its lost momentum, the Covid-19 pandemic will likely slow it down again, if not entirely reverse the trend," it said. "Although the last great financial crisis did not reduce aid volumes, the looming financial crisis is expected to be more severe.
"As donor countries reallocate funds to deal with increased unemployment and enterprise bankruptcies, aid volumes will inevitably be reduced."
Ms Albright said the effects would harm the world's poorest most directly. "The pandemic will have long-term economic consequences,” she said. "The way that that impacts developing countries is it puts a squeeze on domestic resources and then that tends to result in governments having less money to invest in education and reach out to the neediest."
That is why hopes are now vested in a replenishment drive by the GPE. Britain and Kenya are to co-host a summit next year to raise funds for children's schooling in poorer countries, aware that the coronavirus pandemic risks depriving many millions of an education.
The summit is scheduled to take place in Britain in mid-2021 under the UK's presidency of the G7 club of developed nations, and will be co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Johnson said the goal was to raise at least $5bn for the GPE, which was launched in 2002 and counts the singer Rihanna as a global ambassador.
"I urge the global community to come together, dig deep and ensure we fund their vital work to give every child the chance at an education," Mr Johnson said.
He said that because of school closures during the pandemic, about 1.3 billion children, including 650 million girls, have lost out on months of education, and many may never return because of the economic havoc caused by Covid-19.
"It is a toll of wasted potential and missed opportunity that is a tragedy not just for those children, but for each and every one of us," Mr Johnson said.
Mr Kenyatta said the GPE had been a key partner in helping Kenya to invest in education, especially for girls.
"We must use the opportunity of GPE's financing conference to make ambitious pledges to invest in quality education so our children and young people have the skills and knowledge they need to seize the opportunities of the 21st century," he said.
With nearly $500 million dispensed by GPE since the onset of the lockdown in March, governments have gained support for efforts to maintain education services despite the school closures. Ms Albright cited the grants made by GPE to Kenya as an example of how to make a difference.
"Kenya has used their grant to invest in what they call their education-in-the-cloud capacity and now 15 million Kenyan students can use that capability all at once," she said.
Overall, British officials praised the GPE's efforts to raise access to education. So far the organisation has helped to get 160 million more children into school and doubled the enrolment of girls in the countries where it works.
If countries pledge another $5bn over five years, officials believe that would add 175 million extra children to school rolls in 87 lower-income countries.
That would in turn lift 18 million people out of poverty, and protect two million girls from early marriage. GPE works closely with governments in the Middle East to help frontline states maintain education services. The last round of funding drew pledges of $100m from the UAE.
"Now is the time to really dig deep and realise that we are at a crossroads," Ms Albright said. "We need to be as ambitious as we can with funding and get as many donors to help countries not only recover from the pandemic but really go much further in terms of what education delivery looks like."
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Honeymoonish
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The view from The National
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
