Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Girls’ Access to Education

Tuesday 14 March 2023 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • British Government prioritizes 12 years of quality education for all girls globally.
  • UK runs bilateral education programs in 19 countries and supports 1.6 million girls through the girls' education challenge.
  • Government supports foundational learning and aims to meet G7 targets by agreed date.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Education
Context

The question arises from concerns over the quality of education received by girls globally, especially in regions where access is limited.

Question

What steps he is taking to help ensure that girls receive a quality education throughout the world. I am concerned about the ongoing issue of millions of girls not receiving adequate educational opportunities worldwide.

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all girls is a British Government priority. We run bilateral education programmes in 19 countries, and our girls' education challenge programme is supporting 1.6 million girls to secure a quality education.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific steps or commitments beyond general statements about priorities.

How: Broad Statement

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Q2 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Education
Context

During its G7 presidency, the UK introduced global targets for improving access to education for girls in low and middle-income countries by 2026. Progress is being tracked against these goals.

Question

Can the Minister say what progress the Government are making in this area; when they expect the targets to be met; what co-ordinating role the UK is playing; and whether he will centre the voices of girls and young women, including those most impacted by inequality and discrimination, in the delivery of the targets?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The hon. Lady is entirely right; those two specific targets were a major priority for the UK G7 presidency in 2021. Prioritising foundational learning—reading, writing and counting well—is at the heart of that. We are on track to achieve both targets by the date agreed at the G7.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific timelines or detailed progress updates.

How: Broad Statement

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Q3 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Women & Equalities
Context

Since the Taliban takeover, approximately 850,000 Afghan girls have been barred from attending school. This has sparked solidarity actions in UK schools.

Question

What more does the Minister believe his Government can do to raise awareness of this ongoing travesty? Crucially, will he agree to bring forward a comprehensive Afghanistan strategy that takes into account the ongoing crackdown on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

I congratulate the school in the hon. Gentleman's constituency on that public-spirited statement about the rights of women and the appalling violations that are taking place in Afghanistan. The Taliban are not a monolith in Afghanistan; there are parts of the country in which education is taking place at both a primary and a secondary level for girls.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide concrete steps to raise awareness or develop a strategy.

How: Broad Statement

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Q4 Vicky Ford Con
Education Women & Equalities
Context

The International Parliamentary Network for Education aims to promote education globally by involving parliamentarians from over 60 countries.

Question

May I congratulate my right hon. Friend and the FCDO on putting girls' education at the heart of the women and girls strategy that was announced last week? The International Parliamentary Network for Education brings together parliamentarians from over 60 countries to promote the importance of education. Will my right hon. Friend encourage Members of this House to sign up to the network so that we can continue to work with others to ensure that no children are left behind?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

I am certain that if you sign up, Mr Speaker, most colleagues will follow your lead. My right hon. Friend has done a great job in this area herself. Between 2015 and 2020, the UK supported more than 8 million girls with getting into school, of whom 65% were living in fragile countries.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address encouraging UK parliamentarians to join the network.

How: Broad Statement

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Q5 James Sunderland
Context

Poor health, such as malaria, significantly hinders educational opportunities for children globally. The UK is committed to meeting the 2030 Commonwealth goal of ending malaria.

Question

Will the Minister please commit to renewing the UK Government's commitment towards meeting the 2030 Commonwealth goal of ending malaria? Will he also provide maximum support to the Global Fund?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

As my hon. Friend knows, we committed to the latest Global Fund replenishment a sum of £1,000 million, so we are right behind the aspirations that he has expressed. A child dies every minute from malaria, entirely needlessly.

Answered
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Q6 Preet Kaur Gill Labour (Co-op) Birmingham Edgbaston
Education
Context

The UK pledged during its G7 presidency to get 40 million more girls into school by the middle of this century, but there are concerns over budget cuts impacting progress.

Question

Can the Minister update the House on what progress has been made towards our G7 presidency pledge to get 40 million more girls into school? Can he explain how that squares with the Government's decision to cut the FCDO's education, gender and equality budget in half last year?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

We are looking at the budgets for the next financial year, and indeed the year after, and we will come to the House and set out what they are. However, the hon. Lady should be in no doubt that this is a top priority.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific progress details or reconcile funding decisions with G7 commitments.

How: Broad Statement

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Q7 Alyn Smith
Education Brexit
Context

The EU has established numerous cooperation agreements to support girls' education, and there is an opportunity for the UK to reintegrate into these frameworks.

Question

Surely there is an opportunity for the UK to fold itself back into these frameworks, not reinvent the wheel, and get more girls into education. The hon. Gentleman is right: we take a wholly unideological approach to educating girls and women. We go with what is most effective—with what works—and if the EU produces programmes that are good value for taxpayers' money, we will of course look at them.

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The hon. Gentleman is right: we take a wholly unideological approach to educating girls and women. We go with what is most effective—with what works—and if the EU produces programmes that are good value for taxpayers' money, we will of course look at them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not commit to examining specific frameworks or providing detailed next steps.

How: Broad Statement

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