Benin’s Minister of pre-primary and primary Education, Salimane Karimou, welcomed education specialists from more than 50 GPE partner countries, who gathered in Cotonou to discuss agenda items for the upcoming Board meeting in Dublin and share information and experiences.

Similar meetings have been organized twice a year to allow representatives from the 67 partner countries to review the recommendations and decisions ahead of Board meetings, and ensure they have the opportunity to discuss their respective position and achieve consensus.

“This exposure that the GPE has given us, by us meeting together, over 65 countries across the world, has really added a lot of value in the way we contribute to the policy making decisions back in our countries,” said Martha Ekirapa, Deputy Director of Education, Kenya.

The meetings also include sessions on the various processes of the GPE operational model and new initiatives, such as the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX).

Finally, constituency meetings allow the host country to give a detailed presentation of its education system and organize school visits, giving participants a deep understanding of the components, challenges and solutions of the system.

Yesterday in Cotonou, the minister of Education presented the reform that the education sector in Benin has gone through, resulting in a new architecture to ensure universal basic education for the 2030 horizon. The new sector plan covers the period 2018 – 2030 and aims to ensure that more children complete a quality education. Benin has received grants from GPE totaling US$118 million since 2008, and a new application for an implementation grant is expected for next year.