Education multiplies possibility. It turns a single lesson into a lifetime of choices, healthier families, fairer societies, stronger economies.
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the largest global fund solely dedicated to transforming education systems. It operates using a multi-stakeholder partnership model grounded in country ownership, by bringing together partner governments, donors, international organizations, civil society, teachers’ organizations, the private sector and philanthropic foundations to deliver quality education. Established in 2002, it is hosted by the World Bank and now supports nearly 90 partner countries. GPE’s mission is to “To mobilize partnerships and investments that transform education systems in developing countries, leaving no one behind.”
Save the Children is proud to work in partnership with GPE and, together, convert commitment into impact. Our GPE partnership is firmly aligned to Save the Children's commitment to ensure children are safe and can access education.
The partnership complements Save the Children’s co-leadership of the Education Cluster and provides opportunities to identify synergies with our strong presence in education in emergencies, including our experience with Education Cannot Wait. GPE sees us as a key advocacy partner, especially in times of replenishment and we will continue to engage both in the UK and through the wider network to raise support for GPE with government counterparts.
We're committed to putting power and resources into the hands of communities closest to our work. This means programmes are designed by people who understand the context, speak the languages, and will be there for the long term. The success of our partnership relies heavily on our ability to engage with Ministries of Education and Local Education Groups (LEGs).
Technical, advocacy and policy relationships with GPE have resulted in great collaboration on priority issues related to education. Notably, the partnership has catalysed Save the Children’s strategic position around Climate in Education. At the global level, our GPE partnership amplifies our influence as a key systems-level player, reinforcing our thought leadership and convening power.
Public-Private Partnerships
In the face of complex challenges, public-private partnerships have the potential to test innovative solutions that can be delivered at scale. By bringing together the knowledge and expertise of government ministries with the private sector’s innovation and technical skills, these partnerships help to accelerate progress and ensure that initiatives deliver lasting change.
Innovative financing increases the amount of funding to education and enables new, additional, more efficient and more equitable financing. Through the GPE Multiplier, Save the Children helped mobilise millions of pounds worth of additional funding for education from co-financing partners such as FCDO, DFAT, LEGO Foundation.
OUR IMPACT
Rising together: How Nigerian schools are meeting the needs of refugee and host students
Years of conflict in southwestern Cameroon has forced the movement of refugees into Nigeria, intensifying pressure on already strained host communities. Refugee children arriving at schools in Nigeria faced overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers and a lack of basic supplies—making learning difficult.
Save the Children has partnered with GPE and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education to transform schools across the five states most affected by the refugee inflow, supporting both refugee and host community students.
The programme is expanding access to education for 24,200 refugee children and 7,260 host community children. These efforts support the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education’s broader response to the education crisis among refugee children.
Together, we are addressing immediate needs as well as laying the groundwork for a stronger, more inclusive education system—one that can better support both refugee and host community children, now and in the years to come.
