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In an effort to accelerate action on out of school children, Educate A Child (EAC) has convened a high-level ministerial meeting from 15 countries to be held on Wednesday.
EAC is a global programme of the Education Above All (EAA), an initiative of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson EAA, to significantly reduce the number of out of school children in different parts of the world.
Education ministers and policymakers from countries with high numbers of out of school children will take part at the second EAC high-level ministerial meeting to discuss sustainable measures to accelerate action to reduce the number of children worldwide who are missing their fundamental right to education.
Marcio Barbosa, CEO of EAA, said: “A key part of EAC’s mandate is to advocate for prioritising enrollment and retention in primary education for marginalised children in regions suffering from conditions such as poverty, conflict, discrimination or natural disaster. By getting governmental support and endorsement for our projects we are creating the conditions for a long-term co-operation and a sustainable operation.”
Dr Mary Joy Pigozzi, managing director of EAC, said: “This meeting is a unique opportunity for highlighting innovative solutions available now that have been successful in reaching out of school children. It is our hope that through this meeting, EAC can help support, sustain and scale efforts in these countries as well as provide models and insights for those that are beginning their association with EAC.”
She said: “Every country has a national plan which we acknowledge and respect it. We work within the national plan of each country. We do not directly operate in any country but work with partners. We depend on our partners to implement the programmes as they have better understanding of the children, the social and cultural values and many more.”
The meeting will bring together education ministers and high-ranking delegations from Algeria, Angola, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Yemen and Zanzibar.
The meeting will see attendance from countries that are presently not working with EAC but need to address prevailing challenges to bring children into the primary education system. A number of Qatari authorities and entities, some existing partners of EAC, will also attend the meeting.
The meeting will also provide a platform for education ministers to present an overview of their national primary education plans for out of school children as well as the challenges anticipated in enrolling and retaining children. The meeting will cover EAC’s recommendations for collaborating successfully to address these challenges within the purview of national education plans.
Strategic partners of EAC who will attend the meeting include Bharti, Unesco, UNHCR, Unicef, UNRWA and the Global Partnership for Education, represented by its Board Chair, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.