Chief Executive Officer of Global Partnership for Education, Laura Frigenti
Doha, Qatar: A top official at Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has commended Qatar’s efforts to significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children globally and its contribution towards innovative funding to support education.
In an interview with The Peninsula, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Partnership for Education, Laura Frigenti (pictured) also highlighted Qatar’s growing leadership on global education efforts.
Over the past decade, GPE, a multi-stakeholder partnership that aims to strengthen global education, has joined forced with Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global development and education foundation, to get over 2.7 million out-of-school children back to learning, including in Chad, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
In 2022, building on a long tradition of generosity, the Qatar Fund for Development, through EAA Foundation, pledged $20m to GPE to help more out-of-school children return to the classroom.
“We began working with Qatar and the EAA Foundation in 2012. It’s been a long-standing relationship based on a shared vision, particularly on key issues such as the need to bring out-of-school children back into the education system. This reflects our mutual belief that the education system must be inclusive and bring everyone together,” she said.
“The need for innovation in financing the sector is clear, as it has traditionally been conservative in its approach, and relying on traditional methods will not be sufficient to meet current demands. Additionally, schools today are much more than just places of learning; they are environments where children receive a variety of services,” she added.
Frigenti emphasised that Qatar has played a crucial role in raising global awareness about the broader role of schools beyond just providing education.
“I believe Qatar has been instrumental in bringing global attention to the fact that schools are about much more than just learning. Schools are places where children receive a variety of services, and these services intersect to support the well-being of the child. The school acts as a hub where all of this is delivered. This vision aligns closely with ours,” she said.
Frigenti participated in the recently concluded Doha Forum 2024 and she said the forum provided a significant platform for discussing the critical role of education in fostering peace, stability, and security.
She said that at the Doha Forum 2024, it became clear that key stakeholders are increasingly recognising the power of education to address a variety of global challenges, including instability, migration, and inequality.
Frigenti participated in a high-level panel discussion focused on debt, innovative financing, and solutions to support education at Doha Forum 2024. The session held by EAA Foundation, and it aligned with Doha Forum’s objectives of creating a collaborative platform for addressing global issues, promoting sustainable solutions, and fostering impactful networks.
