Fund the Future

What does 8 billion dollars buy?

You could buy four percent of the TV screens bought in 2010.

Or three days worth of cigarettes for every smoker in the world.

Or it could change the future for millions of children by giving them the chance to go to school and learn.

67 million children in the world are denied the chance to go to school. These children should be our next generation of leaders, doctors, scientists and teachers - but without access to free, quality education, they won't be. 

Instead, they face a lifelong struggle against disease, violence and poverty. 

It doesn't have to be this way. In the past 10 years, the international community has made a big difference to the lives of 40 million children, decreasing the number of primary-aged out-of-school children from over 100 million to 67 million. 

In November 2011, the Global Partnership for Education asked donor and developing countries to renew their commitments to education. This effort culminated in $1.5 billion of pledges from donor countries over three years, and $2 billion in domestic funding from developing countries. 

This new funding, if spent well, will allow approximately 3.3 million more children per year 2012- 2015 to enter education. This is a good start, but efforts must be increased if the full education crisis is to be resolved. 

The cost to get the remaining children around the world into school and learning is small and achievable. The right to education is recognised in many international conventions and almost every constitution. And the potential benefits are vast: 

• Every dollar invested in education would generate 10-15 dollars in returns through higher growth
• Seven million cases of HIV/AIDS could be prevented in the next decade if every child received an education.
• A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive pass the age of 5 years.

The Fund the Future campaign, initiated by civil society and co-ordinated by the Global Campaign for Education, was established to hold governments to their promises on financing for education. In November 2011, civil society organisations and the public from around the world united under the Fund the Future banner delivered a campaign which targeted key donor countries as well as the World Bank- which pledged an additional $750 million in 2010 but has failed to deliver this and previously agreed monies. The World Bank has since responded to the campaign and is now engaged in a dialogue with civil society. In addition, Fund the Future delivered an e-campaign comprising of thousands of messages sent directly to donor governments and through social media, putting additional pressure on governments to keep their promise to children. 

Together we continue to work to ensure pledges made are delivered as well as to monitor bilateral pledges, which remain under threat.