In a non-legislative resolution adopted on Tuesday 13 November in Strasbourg, the European Parliament urges that education be placed at the centre of the development policies of the EU and its Member States and regrets that education is not a priority for international donors.
The resolution was adopted by a large majority (474 votes in favour, 41 against and 23 abstentions). According to its rapporteur, Vincent Peillon (S&D, France), Parliament wants European development policy to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), namely ensuring access for all to quality education by 2030. It recognizes that this requires massive investment in education systems.
Parliament is convinced that aid to education must be a priority, not only as a fundamental right, but also because education is essential to the achievement of the other SDGs.
It invites the European Commission to update its communication on education and training in the context of poverty reduction. The new communication will have to plan how to achieve SDG 4 by 2030, the resolution says.
Parliament calls on the EU and its Member States to devote 10% of their official development assistance to education by 2024 and 15% by 2030.
Parliament also wants at least half of EU and Member States' education aid to be devoted to basic education by 2030 and at least 40% to be directed to the least developed countries.
Parliament reiterates that target 4.1 of the SDGs, which aims at 12 years of free and quality primary and secondary education for all, should be an essential pillar of the Africa-EU partnership, in line with the strategic priorities agreed at the EU-AU summit in Abidjan in 2017.
It welcomes the Commission's Communication on education in emergencies and long-term crises, which sets a target of devoting 10% of EU humanitarian aid to education by 2019. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)