Regional Conference Financing Education in 2030 revisiting the role of civil society in the region of Middle East & East Europe

In May 1-3, APSCF representatives Liliana Rotaru, president, Mariana Ianachevici, CC member, and Carolina Buzdugan, secretary general, attended the international conference „Financing Education 2030: revisiting the role of civil society in the region of Middle East & East Europe”. The conference was organized in Beirut, Lebanon by the Arab Campaign for Education for All, and aimed at strengthening the civil society’s efforts in the region towards a regional strategy that would provide sufficient funding for the achievement of the Agenda 2030 goals, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 4 – quality education.

The Education Action Framework 2030 recommends that governments allocate “at least 4-6% of gross domestic product and / or at least 15-20% of total public spending to education”. However, low-income countries spend on average only 3.9% of GDP for education; by comparison, Moldova is a positive example, allocating education to 16.9% of GDP. On the positive experience of Moldova in financing education, Liliana Rotaru spoke, highlighting in particular the issues related to the financing and implementation of inclusive education in our country.

The session of the second day of the conference had the theme “public policies to fund education based on facts and evidence” and was moderated by Mariana Ianachevici. The conference culminated in the elaboration of an action plan so that civil society could intervene and protect education in an efficient way.