Education
Education is a human right. It is fundamental to individual wellbeing, to sustainable development and to social cohesion.
Quality education helps individuals to maximise their potential and pursue new opportunities. It enables people to live healthier and more productive lives and is essential to building strong societies. Education drives the innovation that helps us to confront the challenges of a changing world.
Education’s role in empowerment and equality
The individual and societal benefits of educating girls and women are particularly strong. Education can also be a driving force for gender equality. Inequitable education systems can reinforce harmful norms and behaviour.
Access to free and high-quality education was an important part of Ireland’s economic and social transformation. We are committed to supporting education systems globally. We want to ensure all children, particularly those furthest behind, have access to the same transformative impact.
25%
of schools globally lack electricity, basic sanitation and drinking water
€250 million
has been pledged between 2019 and 2024 to improve global education
€100 million
contributed to the Global Partnership for Education since 2005
Ireland supports education globally through:
Girls’ education and education in emergencies
The Global Partnership for Education
Ireland works with Governments, partners and NGOs to support education globally. We believe in equitable, inclusive and quality education for all children.
A Better World
'A Better World', Ireland's policy for international development commits Ireland to increasing support for education. Our key focus is on education in emergencies and supporting girls’ education. We are at all times guided by the overarching principle to reach the furthest behind first.
Investing in second chance education and skills development for disadvantaged young people is another area of priority
The policy makes a specific commitment to contribute at least €250 million to improve global education over five years.
Girls’ education and education in emergencies
Ireland places particular focus on girls’ education. This work identifies ways to mitigate specific risks faced by adolescent girls to accessing high-quality education.
We also focus on supporting education in emergencies and protracted crises. Children experiencing humanitarian emergencies are at risk of interrupted education.
Facilitating educational needs
In 2023, Ireland committed to contribute €18 million to support the immediate educational needs of young people in humanitarian emergencies and protracted crises. The funding was provided through our partner Education Cannot Wait in response to the increase in humanitarian needs globally.
Access to education
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) aims to ensure that all children complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. Ireland supports global coordination and cooperation to achieve SDG4.
The best and most effective way to reach children is by strengthening national education systems. Educational infrastructure must be invested in. Teachers require training support.
Supporting access to education
In Sierra Leone, Ireland supports the Government to implement the Radical Inclusion Policy through the FREE Education Programme and by enabling girls to re-enter education safely with support from UNFPA. Ireland also supported UNICEF and MBSSE to develop and implement an Out of School Children Strategy.
The Global Partnership for Education
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is Ireland’s largest global education partner. It is focused on support to national systems. In 2021, Ireland committed to contribute a further €60 million over five years. This represents a 44% increase on previous funding levels. Of this, €10 million is ring-fenced for the GPE Girls’ Education Accelerator.
Ireland supports the Palestinian Ministry of Education to strengthen the education system. We do this through a Joint Financing Agreement alongside Finland, Germany and Norway. The Irish Government, through its embassies, also supports the education sectors directly in a number of countries including Uganda, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
- In Uganda, the Irish embassy funds a Vocational Education and Skills Program in Karamoja. Working in close operation with the regional authorities and the private sector, the program is providing 3,500 youth with skills training and supporting them to access employment opportunities;
- In Mozambique, the Irish embassy provides funding to the education sector pooled fund to improving access to quality education for girls in remote northern provinces;
- In Sierra Leone, the Irish embassy is funding a three-year programme supporting local NGOs to work with the Ministry of Education, school leaders and teachers to improve school performance and achieve better learning outcomes for secondary school students; and
- Ireland’s embassy in Ramallah supports the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Education to provide equitable access to quality education for Palestinian children.