Manos Antoninis, Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Global Education Monitoring Report, says a quarter of education aid could vanish by 2027. This drop, he warns, comes at a time when countries already face a staggering $97 billion funding gap each year to meet basic education goals.
“Some of the biggest donors have already started scaling back,” Antoninis said, noting recent policy shifts in the United States and parts of Europe. “In some cases, funding is being cut entirely.”
Figures from the report show that education aid dropped by 12% in 2024 alone, one of the steepest declines in recent memory. This setback returns global education funding levels to what they were in the 1990s, well before commitments made under the Sustainable Development Goals framework.
Several factors are driving the decline. Political changes in high-income countries have led to growing pressure to redirect public funds inward. Education, once a top development priority, is increasingly being sidelined in favour of domestic spending and security-related expenditure.
For low-income countries like Chad and Somalia, where aid can make up nearly a fifth of national education budgets, this decline spells trouble. “These are countries where external support is not supplementary, it’s essential,” Antoninis explained.
UNESCO's report recommends several urgent changes, including funnelling more funds through multilateral agencies and ensuring that education aid reaches government budgets directly, rather than being handled by external contractors. “Governments need predictable support to build long-term education systems,” said Antoninis. “Scattered projects don’t allow for planning or sustainability.”
While most of the news is concerning, Antoninis says there are a few signs of progress. Some aid is now being pooled and allocated more equitably across countries through shared international funds. However, serious problems remain, especially in fragile states.
In countries affected by conflict or displacement, the line between emergency response and long-term development aid remains blurry. This lack of coordination leads to inefficiencies and undercuts the long-term goals of education systems.
Antoninis stressed that better tracking of aid and clearer data systems are needed to improve how funding is distributed. “Without knowing what funds are available, or what they’re intended for, many countries are left without the tools they need to act.”
As global leaders meet in Seville this week for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, Antoninis called for renewed political will and a focus on education as a pillar for peace, growth and global stability.
--ChannelAfrica--
