Sec. 3. Assistance to promote sustainable, quality basic education
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Section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151c ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: In carrying out this section, it shall be the policy of the United States to work with partner countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations, including as appropriate faith-based organizations and organizations that represent teachers, students, and parents, to promote sustainable, quality basic education through programs and activities that, consistent with Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights— align with and respond to the needs, capacities, and commitment of developing countries to strengthen educational systems, expand access to safe learning environments, ensure continuity of education, measurably improve teacher skills and learning outcomes, and support the engagement of parents in the education of their children, so that all children, including marginalized children and other vulnerable groups, may have access to and benefit from quality basic education; promote education as a foundation for sustained economic growth and development within a holistic assistance strategy that places partner countries on a trajectory toward graduation from assistance provided under this section and contributes to improved— early childhood development; life skills and workforce development; economic opportunity; gender parity; food and nutrition security; water, sanitation, and hygiene; health and disease prevention and treatment; disaster preparedness; conflict and violence reduction, mitigation, and prevention; and democracy and governance; and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of basic education programs.
In carrying out the policy referred to in paragraph (1), the United States shall be guided by the following principles of aid effectiveness: Assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection shall be aligned with and advance United States diplomatic, development, and national security interests. To the greatest extent practicable, assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection should be aligned with and support the national education plans and country development strategies of partner countries, including activities that are appropriate for and meet the needs of local and indigenous cultures.
Assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection should be coordinated with and leverage the unique capabilities and resources of local and national governments in partner countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations, including as appropriate faith-based organizations and organizations that represent teachers, students, and parents. Assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection should be coordinated with and support proven multilateral education programs and financing mechanisms, which may include the Global Partnership for Education, that demonstrate commitment to efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability.
The President shall seek to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection by coordinating the related efforts of relevant Executive branch agencies and officials, including efforts to increase gender parity and to provide a continuity of basic education activities in humanitarian responses and other emergency settings. Programs and activities supported under this subsection shall be designed to achieve specific, measurable goals and objectives and shall include appropriate targets, metrics and indicators that can be applied with reasonable consistency across such programs and activities to measure progress and outcomes.
Programs and activities supported under this subsection shall be subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation, which may include impact evaluations, the results of which shall be made publically available in a fully searchable, electronic format. The President shall ensure that assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection is aligned with the diplomatic, economic, and national security interests of the United States and that priority is given to developing countries in which— there is the greatest need and opportunity to expand access to basic education and to improve learning outcomes, including for marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, or populations affected by conflict or crisis; and such assistance can produce a substantial, measurable impact on children and educational systems.
In this subsection: The term basic education includes— all program and policy efforts aimed at improving early childhood, preprimary education, primary education, and secondary education, which can be delivered in formal and nonformal education settings, and in programs promoting learning for out-of-school youth and adults; capacity building for teachers, administrators, counselors, and youth workers; literacy, numeracy, and other basic skills development that prepare an individual to be an active, productive member of society and the workforce; and workforce development, vocational training, and digital literacy that is informed by real market needs and opportunities.
The term partner country means a developing country that participates in or benefits from basic education programs under this subsection pursuant to the prioritization criteria described in paragraph (3), including level of need, opportunity for impact, and the availability of resources. The term relevant Executive branch agencies and officials means— the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Defense; the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally, the National Security Advisor, the Director of the Peace Corps, and the National Economic Advisor; and any other department, agency, or official of the United States Government that participates in activities to promote quality basic education pursuant to the authorities of such department, agency, or official or pursuant to this Act.
The term national education plan means a comprehensive national education plan developed by partner country governments in consultation with other stakeholders as a means for wide-scale improvement of the country’s education system, including explicit, credible strategies informed by effective practices and standards to achieve quality universal basic education. The term HIV/AIDS has the meaning given that term in section 104A(h). The term marginalized children and vulnerable groups includes girls, children affected by or emerging from armed conflict or humanitarian crises, children with disabilities, children in remote or rural areas (including those who lack access to safe water and sanitation), religious or ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS, child laborers, married adolescents, and victims of trafficking.
The term gender parity in basic education means that girls and boys have equal access to quality basic education. The term nonformal education — means organized educational activities outside the established formal system, whether operating separately or as an important feature of a broader activity, that are intended to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning objectives; and includes youth programs and community training offered by community groups and organizations.
The term sustainability means, with respect to any basic education program that receives funding pursuant to this section, the ability of a service delivery system, community, partner, or beneficiary to maintain, over time, such basic education program. .
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Sec. 3
Assistance to promote sustainable, quality basic education
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