Partnerships and the financing of education

Finance is crucial for achieving global education goals. Financing education for development requires collaboration and partnership with various stakeholders who understand the context. But finance can be either a tool for fostering collaboration or a tool for control. It can cause power imbalances and provide opportunities for funders to exert undue influence and control over educational priorities.

This sub-theme focuses on the role of new and existing actors in supporting educational finance. It will explore funding models for education, especially in low and medium income contexts. In particular, this sub-theme raises questions such as: Can government provision alone lead to universal access and attainment in education? What are the priorities and perspectives of different actors (international organisations, foundations, private sector, etc.) in supporting education? How are these actors integrated within educational systems? At which levels do they operate? Which financial mechanisms are used? What challenges do they face? Are there complementarities in their approaches? Are new forms of partnerships emerging? Are there potential tensions?

This sub-theme also invites papers that address the financing gap in education, innovative financing approaches, and disparities/challenges in financing for the most marginalised.