Written question asked by Maria Fyfe (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 July 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 October 2000. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 October 2000 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, What discussions took place at the annual World Bank-IMF meeting in September on adopting a global initiative on education. (Failed OPQ)

Answer: Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions took place at the annual World bank-IMF meeting in September on adopting a global initiative on education. [132203] Clare Short: In the Development Committee, Ministers discussed progress in the implementation of the country-led approach to development embodied in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSP) process and Comprehensive Development Framework. We and others have repeatedly made it clear that education should feature prominently in countries' poverty reduction strategies. The UK Ministerial Statement to the Development Committee reiterated our commitment to Education for All. We said: We need to build on the strong political commitment by national governments and the international community to the goals of education for all, which were re-affirmed at the Dakar World Education Forum in April. Education is at the heart of development, but real progress towards education for all will only be achieved and sustained within well-defined, country-owned strategies for the sector, firmly set within broader development and budgetary frameworks. We are wary of interpretations of the Framework for Action agreed at Dakar which imply separate funds for education, new mechanisms and new conditionalities. We will continue to argue that the way forward is to ensure that education, and basic education in particular, is given the priority it deserves within PRSPs.

Secondary information