Quality Education in Developing Countries

Quality Education in Developing Countries
With a 2006 Hewlett grant, the African Population and Health Research Centre’s Education Research Program will help children like these Big Pen Academy students in Nairobi’s Korogocho slum.

In December 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation announced a collaborative commitment of at least $60 million over three years to improve the quality of education at the primary and secondary school levels in the developing world.

Access to education has been a priority in international development for decades. Since 1990, the World Bank alone has spent more than $12 billion in support of primary education in the developing world, and during the past decade its efforts have increased enrollment levels in twelve countries by an average of 19 percent. However, higher student enrollment has led to a growing recognition that more attention must be paid to the quality of education. The Gates-Hewlett partnership marks a major step forward, building on international efforts to make a quality primary school education available to children everywhere.
Quality Education in Developing Countries Grants Authorized in 2006
 
2007–2010 Goals

The Gates-Hewlett partnership will focus on improving learning outcomes mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia—regions with the lowest levels of student achievement in the world. We will fund large-scale demonstration projects, coupled with evaluation, to develop techniques to improve the quality of education in these regions, and will disseminate the lessons learned. The grants will focus on ensuring that students in developing countries not only attend school but also master the skills necessary for work opportunities, advanced learning, and full civic participation.

For more information, please visit the Foundation Web site.