The NEU is deeply dismayed by the UK Government's announcement of a drastic cut to its commitment to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the world's global fund dedicated to transforming education in lower-income and fragile countries.
On 23 September 2026, Minister for Development Kirsty McNeill announced that the UK would pledge £100 million to GPE for its 2026-2030 replenishment period, a staggering 77% reduction from the UK's previous pledge of £430 million in 2021.
As one of GPE's founding partners, its largest bilateral donor to date, and a leading member of its board, the scale of this reduction is devastating for both the fund’s future and the children it supports. The UK's longstanding leadership within the fund has not only helped transform educational opportunities for millions of children, but has also encouraged ambitious commitments from other donors.
The UK's decision will accelerate an already troubling global retreat from commitments to the right to education. Global aid resources to education were already projected to fall by 30% between 2023-27. That figure is now expected to rise further. Meanwhile, the global out-of-school population is expected to continue to rise.
With the vast majority of the UK's bilateral funding for education already cut, slashing funding for GPE leaves a shamefully small amount of funding for an issue for which the UK was once internationally recognised for championing.
The stakes could not be higher. At a time of global rights rollbacks, attacks on democracy, and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, our collective future depends on an educated global public. The NEU consistently hears from our sister unions in GPE partner countries about the transformative impact of GPE, and how significant the UK's commitment to the fund has been over the decades.
Today, GPE’s future is in jeopardy, and children in some of the most underserved areas in the world will bear the costs. NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede and Education International Secretary David Edwards have written to the Development Minister to urge her to urgently reconsider the UK’s pledge. We continue to call on the UK Government to urgently explore pathways to increase its contribution to GPE, and to dedicate any additional resources arising from unexpected ODA savings to education.
Advancement on the right to education depends on a strong GPE, and a strong GPE depends on strong, reliable backing from the UK Government. No other mechanism can replicate what GPE is able to achieve through its unique partnership model and approach to strengthening national education systems .It is imperative that the UK commits to global education and to GPE.