Written question asked by Marsha De Cordova (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 February 2023. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Developing Countries: Literacy

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle learning poverty in low-income countries.

Answer: The FCDO prioritises addressing learning poverty. This is reflected in the two Global Objectives we secured through our 2021 G7 Presidency: getting 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more girls reading by age ten by 2026. In 2022 we launched the Commitment to Action on foundational learning to reduce learning poverty by 50 percent by 2030. We have invested in research to understand how to tackle learning poverty in low-income countries through the RISE programme and the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel reports. We implement basic education programmes in many low-income countries including in Ethiopia and Malawi.

Secondary information