G7: £430m for education a welcome step but jury still out on Summit and global vaccinations

Save the Children Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy, and spokesperson for the Crack the Crises coalition, is at the G7 Summit and available for interview. With any enquiries please contact Isobel Turriff on i.turriff@savethechildren.org.uk / +44 7968 858795 or 24 hrs: +44 7831 650409 / media@savethechildren.org.uk

In response to the announcement that the UK's pledge of £430 million to the Global Partnership for Education, Kirsty McNeill, Executive Director of Policy and Campaigns at Save the Children and spokesperson for the Crack the Crises coalition, said:

“This £430 million is a welcome first step towards helping the poorest children across the world get back to school in the wake of the pandemic. But it’s a fraction of the $5 billion the UK needs to mobilise as co-host of the Global Education Summit in July and doesn’t make up for slashing aid for girls’ education by 40% this year.

“This is far from the only test of leadership facing Boris Johnson at this G7. It is ultimately the agreement or not of a global financing plan to vaccinate the world on which this summit – held as the pandemic still rages - will be judged. The education and dose sharing announcements provide some foundations, but the jury is still out on whether the Prime Minister will lead the G7 or merely host them.”