Learning

GPE works to ensure that millions more children are learning the essential skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.

The world is experiencing a learning crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant learning losses around the world. As of 2022, 7 in 10 children in lower-income countries cannot read a simple story by age 10.

The learning crisis is also deepened by the effects of climate change, conflict and economic slowdown. Children from the poorest families, girls and children with disabilities face particularly huge barriers to learning in a safe and healthy environment.

Children today are growing up in an era of fast-paced transformation, with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. We need young people with the skills to create, innovate and harness opportunities in all countries.

To improve learning outcomes, countries need reliable learning data, which requires robust learning assessment systems. Setting up such systems remains a major challenge in many partner countries.

GPE 2025 identifies learning within its primary goal and as a key priority area for action.

GPE works to transform education systems to reach all girls and boys with quality learning opportunities.

Featured story

Tajikistan: Revitalizing learning at School No.53

Our results

70%
of partner countries
with data improved learning outcomes between 2010-2015 and 2016-2019.
$346 million
invested by GPE
in activities to improve learning
in FY 2023.
$97 million
invested by GPE
in activities related to learning assessments in FY 2023.

Sources

Publications

Value for money guidance note: Textbooks and learning materials
Factsheet: 21st century skills
GPE’s support to regional networks on learning assessment
21st century skills: What potential role for the Global Partnership for Education?

GPE in action

GPE helps countries achieve improvements in learning along each stage of a child's education, including early learning, foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional learning and the wider range of skills necessary to prepare students for the 21st century. This may include supporting distance learning and strengthening capacity for inclusive data collection to monitor learning.

Driving system transformation in support of better learning outcomes: Partner countries develop partnership compacts that mobilize coordinated action and financing in support of priority reform areas, which can include the improvement of learning outcomes. In so doing, GPE enables transformational change at the country level.

Incentivizing learning: Partner countries applying for GPE support consider the enabling factors that can spur system transformation, including data on learning outcomes. In addition, countries receive their full grant allocation once they demonstrate progress in the collection and availability of such data.

Enabling enhanced data and information on learning: GPE provides funding to enhance education systems supports diagnostics, data collection and capacity building in relation to learning outcomes and related factors, including teachers and teaching, curriculum, books and learning materials.

Supporting investments that lead to better learning: GPE offers grant support for system transformation that can cover a wide range of activities promoting better learning in partner countries.

Tracking learning outcomes: Through its results framework, GPE monitors how much children are learning at various stages in the primary and lower secondary cycles, including their proficiency in reading and mathematics.

Creating and sharing knowledge: A key theme of the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) is learning assessments and several of the KIX grants cover activities and research related to learning.

Latest blogs and news