December 2023 Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Roundup 

COP28, which took place from November 30 - December 12, 2023, highlighted the intersection between climate and a wide range of other development issues, with foundational literacy and numeracy being no exception. Recent FLN developments have been characterized by their incorporation of climate elements and considerations. Interruptions in schooling are known as one of the major factors hindering efforts to achieving universal FLN coverage, which is likely to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change.

The Donor Tracker December 2023 Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Roundup tracks key policy developments and commitments among DAC donors, multilaterals, and other actors throughout the fourth quarter of 2023.

Key Developments

At COP28 in Expo City Dubai, UAE, a historic Declaration on the Common Agenda for Education and Climate Change was adopted, marking the first global political recognition of the crucial connection between education and climate action for a resilient and sustainable future.

• The declaration urged Member States to commit to three key areas: adapt, mitigate, and invest. It was signed by 37 countries from every region of the world.
• Signatories created the declaration with the intention of providing a pathway for integrating education into national climate strategies, developing climate-smart education policies, preventing climate change from interrupting the completion of basic education, and increasing financing for climate-resilient education systems.

GPE CEO Laura Frigenti endorsed the declaration and called on signatories to translate their support of the declaration into tangible action.

DAC Donor Updates

• USAID announced US$130 million in new investments for girls' empowerment as part of its celebration of International Day of the Girl, which included plans to provide funding for investments in young girls' education, intended to advance gender equality through educational efforts.
• Japan and UNICEF exchanged letters in Bamako, Mali, involving a grant of JPY520 million (US$5 million) promoting children's education in vulnerable areas of Mali. The project aims to expand the UNICEF School for All Approach, improving access to foundational education in vulnerable areas by constructing facilities, establishing functional school management committees, and fostering community participation.
• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched a new White Paper on International Development, the first since 2009, which set out a progressive, whole-of-government approach to accelerate the delivery of the SDGs over the next seven years. One of the goals was listed as ensuring opportunities for all, including basic education and social protection.

Multilateral Developments

• ECW announced US$2 million in new grant funding for education in Egypt. The grant, to be delivered by UNHCR, is slated to provide life-saving access to basic education for children fleeing the civil war in Sudan to Egypt.
• UNICEF's Where are we on Education Recovery? Taking the Global Pulse of a RAPID Response, organized around its RAPID Framework, showed some progress in transforming educational systems, but also indicated a necessity to support teacher professional development and stronger systems for fundamental education.
• UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini gave an interview on the future of education, where she stated that "children with disabilities are 42% less likely to have FLN skills compared to their peers ... and of the 771 million people who still lack basic literacy skills, two-thirds of them are women." She called for enrolling 1.4 million children in school annually until 2030, and advancing primary school completion rates.
• GPE authorized US$110 million in grants for the advancement of children's education in Afghanistan through 2025, which aims to enable Afghani children to engage in community-based education and build FLN skills at public schools.
• The GCF, GPE, and Save the Children unveiled a US$70 million investment at COP28 to construct climate-resilient schools in South Sudan, Cambodia, and Tonga, all countries that face barriers to enrollment and completion of basic education due to climate threats. The joint initiative, Building the Climate Resilience of Children and Communities through the Education Sector, is the first major climate finance investment in the education sector.
• UNESCO released a report showing that in the Latin American and Caribbean region, 75% of students lack basic numeracy skills and 55% lack basic reading skills. Following these results, an extraordinary UNESCO ministerial meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean at ECLAC headquarters was announced for January 2024, co-organized by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Bank, ECLAC, and UNICEF.
• GPE and Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, in a joint endeavor with Canada's IDRC, launched a call seeking proposals for applied research projects in the area of "knowledge and innovation for inclusive early learning and school readiness." The call identified two thematic priorities:
  • Inclusive early learning pedagogy; and
  • Foundational skills for smooth transition and school readiness.