FOCUS AREA › Financing Education

Low and lower‑middle‑income countries face an annual education financing gap of nearly 200 billion USD, threatening progress towards SDG 4. At the same time, an estimated 350 million children are educated by non‑state actors, while weak regulation and blurred lines between public and private provision risk deepening inequalities.
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GCE underlines that public investment in education is needed more than ever to reverse setbacks, respond to crises and ensure that those most marginalised are not left behind. Adequate, predictable and fairly raised financing is essential to expand early childhood education, reach out‑of‑school adolescents and youth, and support adult learning.

Education financing as one of three global advocacy and campaigning priorities for GCE. In this focus area, the movement works to:

1. Promote increased public investment in education systems from early childhood through adult learning.
2. Protect education budgets in times of austerity, debt crises and emergencies.
3. Ensure that resources are allocated and spent equitably, with priority for those already excluded or at risk of being left behind.
4. GCE links education financing to broader struggles for tax justice, debt justice and fair macro‑economic policies that enable governments to fund rights‑based education.

GCE directs clear asks to governments and decision‑makers at national and international levels.​

Increase Domestic Resources for Education

1. Invest in public education to the maximum of available resources by increasing the share, size and scrutiny of education budgets.​
2. Raise fairer domestic revenues through progressive taxation and sustainable use of natural resources.​
3. Ensure transparent, accountable and gender‑ and equity‑sensitive public spending on education.​

Guarantee Equitable and Sufficient Spending

1. Allocate resources in line with education laws and national plans and increase the budget share for public education.​
2. Direct financing to marginalised and excluded groups, including out‑of‑school children and youth, learners with disabilities, and communities affected by conflict, crisis or discrimination.​
3. Secure funding to close gaps in early childhood education, education for out‑of‑school adolescents and youth, and adult learning.​

Set and Meet Binding Targets

1. Establish legally anchored national and international targets for education financing and develop concrete plans to meet them.​
2. Protect education budgets in fiscal adjustment processes and ensure that debt servicing does not erode rights‑based education spending.​

Regulate Privatisation and Commercialisation

1. Improve monitoring of private education providers, their practices and their impact on equity and quality.​
2. Expose and work to end forms of privatisation and commodification that undermine the right to free, public education.​

GCE members jointly advocate and campaign towards governments, donors and international financial institutions to secure more and better financing for public education. The movement monitors education investments, aid flows, spending trends and opportunities, and takes timely action when decisions restrict funding for education or education activism.​

Through research on privatisation, commodification and financing solutions for lifelong learning, GCE generates evidence that supports national and global advocacy. The movement also builds partnerships with organisations specialising in budgets, tax, aid and financial analysis, and facilitates learning on how civil society can access and influence education funding spaces.