African Ministers Push for Urgent Education Funds at World Bank Meetings

On the eve of the World Bank Annual Meetings, 14 leading African Ministers released a letter to OECD donor countries appealing for financial help to send 20 million children to primary school for the first time by the end of next year.  The Ministers highlighted the importance of education in the fight against poverty: “education is one of the most powerful ways for developing countries to reduce poverty and to spur opportunity for our young people.”  The African Ministers urged the donor community to replenish the Education for All Fast-Track Initiative, which faces an immediate funding shortfall of US$ 1.2 billion through the end of 2010, and will need significantly more over the coming years to educate all school-age children in Africa, and elsewhere in the world.  Read the full letter here.