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Funding education and international solidarity: the role of parliamentarians in France

Last Thursday, January 23, RIDHE was honored to attend a key event organized at the National Assembly of France by UNICEF France and the Coalition Éducation. Under the title “Financements de la France à l'Éducation en matière de solidarité internationale: quels rôles pour les parliamentaires?” , this meeting was held on the eve of the International Day of Education, with the main objective of mobilizing parliamentarians to strengthen France's commitment to funding education at a international level.

The event was attended by prominent speakers such as Léa Rambaud from Coalition Éducation, Lucile Grosjean from UNICEF France, Raphaëlle Martinez from Global Partnership for Education, as well as representatives Pierre-Yves Cadalen, Eleonore Caroit and Guillaume Gouffier Valente.

During the interventions, the main global educational challenges were addressed, highlighting the urgency of ensuring equitable and quality access for all people. In the words of MP Guillaume Gouffier Valente: “In the current context, it is essential to adopt a cross-party approach to international public aid. This is a fight we must fight, and we are doing it.”

CURRENT CONTEXT AND CHALLENGES
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Access to education faces significant challenges: approximately 250 million children and young people around the world lack educational opportunities. In this context, public funding is positioned as a crucial tool to combat inequalities. However, recent decisions, such as the 35% reduction in the Public Development Assistance (ODA) budget in France, could aggravate this crisis and jeopardize access to education for the most vulnerable sectors

In relation to Latin America, various investment initiatives in education were discussed. The need to promote quality scientific teaching and to ensure rigorous control of resources allocated to education was emphasized to ensure concrete and sustainable results.

The case of Haiti was cited as an example of the risks associated with the excessive privatization of the education system, where 80% of schools are funded by the private sector. This situation creates profound inequalities, excluding students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

KEY POINTS
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1. Education as a fundamental human right: Participants reaffirmed that the State must guarantee universal access to education, ensuring that it is not treated as a market good.

2. International cooperation: The importance of multilateralism and France's leadership role in international forums to protect and prioritize education in global budgets was emphasized.

3. Transparency and control: The need to implement monitoring mechanisms that guarantee the efficient use of resources allocated to education and generate concrete results was highlighted.

4. Private sector participation: Although collaboration with the private sector can be beneficial, participants emphasized the importance of regulating their participation to ensure that education remains accessible and equitable.

5. Awareness-raising and the role of the media: The media were identified as strategic allies to mobilize public opinion and promote policies that favor better educational funding.

CONCLUSIONS AND CALL TO ACTION
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Education is a collective commitment that must be a political and budgetary priority. Lucile Grosjean stressed that political commitments must be translated into funding that meets current educational challenges: “The impacts of these budgetary decisions are measured in lives: girls deprived of education, overburdened schools, abandoned essential programs. We urge parliamentarians to act. It is necessary not only to preserve, but also to strengthen funding to maximize the impact of educational projects.”

Organizing organizations and parliamentarians emphasized the importance of continuing to work together and of having political influence to guarantee the right to education. The message was clear: every euro invested in education represents a commitment to sustainable development, social justice and global peace.