During a meeting in Oslo, the GPE Board of Directors approved US$147 million to improve the education of millions of children and youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi and the Caribbean states of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The three new grants build on prior achievements and will continue to help strengthening the countries’ education systems.

A US$100 million grant for the Democratic Republic of Congo will help the government to improve students’ reading skills, ensure children complete primary school and strengthen the governance of the education sector. This will include providing textbooks in local languages, supporting early childhood education and improving teacher training.

Malawi’s grant of US$44.9 million will focus on the quality of early education and ensuring girls don’t drop out of school. The program will provide school improvement grants, construct schools and sanitary facilities, and offer capacity development for teachers and head teachers to improve school management. Vulnerable populations including girls and children with disabilities will specifically benefit from this program.

Thirty percent of the grants to DRC and Malawi are linked to specific targets each country has agreed to reach to improve equity, learning and efficiency.

DRC's targets focus on ensuring children don’t drop out in first grade, achieving better reading skills and improving equity through the elimination of fees for all primary schools across the country. Malawi will focus on keeping girls in upper primary schools, reducing repetition rates in lower primary education and enhancing the learning environment in early grades.

The four Caribbean states of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have jointly applied for US$2 million under the umbrella of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The grant will focus on improving the overall quality of education through teacher training and better assessment of student learning outcomes. The grant does not have a result-based portion due to its modest size.