Sec. 4. Comprehensive integrated United States strategy to promote basic education
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Not later than October 1, 2016, October 1, 2021, and October 1, 2026, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive United States strategy to promote quality basic education in partner countries by— seeking to equitably expand access to basic education for all children, particularly marginalized children and vulnerable groups; and measurably improving the quality of basic education and learning outcomes. In developing the strategy required by subsection (a), the President shall consult with— the appropriate congressional committees; relevant Executive branch agencies and officials; partner country governments; and local and international nongovernmental organizations, including faith-based organizations and organizations representing students, teachers, and parents, and other development partners engaged in basic education assistance programs in developing countries.
The President shall provide an opportunity for public comment on the strategy required by subsection (a). For the purposes of this section, the strategy entitled USAID education strategy , as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall be deemed to fulfill the initial requirements of subsection
(a)for 2016. The strategy required by subsection
(a)shall be developed and implemented consistent with the principles set forth in subsection
(c)of section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this Act) and shall seek to— build the capacity of relevant actors in partner countries, including in government and in civil society, to develop and implement national education plans that are aligned with and advance country development strategies; identify and replicate successful interventions that improve access to and quality of education; project general levels of resources needed to achieve stated program objectives; leverage United States capabilities, including through technical assistance, training and research; and improve coordination and reduce duplication among relevant Executive branch agencies and officials, other donors, multilateral institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and governments in partner countries. Assistance provided under section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended by section 3 of this Act) should advance the strategy required by subsection (a), including through efforts to— ensure an adequate supply and continued support for trained, effective teachers; design and deliver relevant curricula, uphold quality standards, and supply appropriate teaching and learning materials; build the capacity of basic education systems in partner countries by improving management practices and supporting their ability to collect relevant data and monitor, evaluate, and report on the status and quality of education services, financing, and student-learning outcomes; help mobilize domestic resources to eliminate or offset fees for educational services, including fees for tuition, uniforms, and materials; support education on human rights and conflict-resolution while ensuring that schools are not incubators for violent extremism; work with communities to help girls overcome relevant barriers to their receiving a safe, quality basic education, including by improving girls’ safety in education settings, helping girls to obtain the skills needed to find safe and legal employment upon conclusion of their education, and countering harmful practices such as child, early, and forced marriage and gender-based violence; ensure access to education for the most marginalized children and vulnerable groups, including through the provision of appropriate infrastructure, flexible learning opportunities, accelerated and second-chance classes, and opportunities that support leadership development; make schools safe and secure learning environments without threat of physical, psychological, and sexual violence, including by supporting safe passage to and from schools and constructing separate latrines for boys and girls; and support a communities-of-learning approach that utilizes schools as centers of learning and development for an entire community, to leverage and maximize the impact of other development efforts, and reduce duplication and waste. In addition to the activities supported under subsection (f), assistance provided under section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended by section 3 of this Act) to foreign countries or those parts of the territories of foreign countries that are affected by or emerging from armed conflict, humanitarian crises, or other emergency situations may be used to support efforts to— ensure a continuity of basic education for all children through appropriate formal and nonformal education programs and services; ensure that basic education assistance of the United States to countries in emergency settings shall be informed by the Minimum Standards of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies ( INEE Minimum Standards ); coordinate basic education programs with complementary services to protect children from physical harm, psychological and social distress, recruitment into armed groups, family separation, and abuses related to their displacement; support, train, and provide professional development for educators working in emergency settings; help build national capacity to coordinate and manage basic education during emergency response and through recovery; promote the reintegration of teachers and students affected by conflict, whether refugees or internally displaced, into educational systems; and ensure the safety of children in school, including through support for— the provision of safe learning environments with appropriate facilities, especially for girls; safe passage to and from school, including landmine awareness, the designation of schools as conflict-free zones, the adoption and support of community-owned protective measures to reduce the incidence of attacks on educational facilities and personnel by local actors, armed groups, and armed forces; out-of-school and flexible-hour education programs in areas where security conditions are prohibitive; safety plans in case of emergency with clearly defined roles for school personnel; and appropriate infrastructure, including emergency communication systems and access to mobile telecommunications with local police and security personnel.