	The Role of Education Assistance in Development

This report is a descriptive profile of recent U.S. foreign aid education sector activities, outlining actors, policy, funding levels, and programs. The education sector has long been considered an important element of the U.S. foreign assistance program. Many organizations have found statistical support for the claim that education is crucial to bettering livelihoods and improving economic stability in developing countries. According to the World Bank, direct benefits of education include the following: 
E conomic growth : An increase of one standard deviation in student reading and math scores is associated with an increase of two percentage points in annual GDP per capita growth. For those who attend school, the quality of education is often lacking. One estimate suggests that 25% of the 530 million children worldwide who complete four years of primary school—130 million children—have not learned basic literacy and numeracy. The Role of Congress: Policy and Funding

Congress affects education assistance in two ways: through policymaking and annual appropriations. Section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195, as amended) seeks "to reduce illiteracy, to extend basic education, and to increase manpower training in skills related to development." On September 7, 2016, the bill was approved by the House of Representatives. In FY2016, combined USAID and Department of State education programming of about $856 million composed nearly 4% of total USAID/State economic (i.e., nonsecurity) assistance program appropriations. At roughly $1.2 billion, total education obligations in FY2014 from all U.S. agencies, including the Peace Corps and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), accounted for nearly 4% of total economic aid obligations in that year. Under its Education Strategy 2011-2015 , USAID adopted three primary goals for its education initiatives:
improved reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015; improved ability of tertiary and workforce development programs to generate workforce skills relevant to a country's development goals; and increased equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners by 2015. In 2015, 2,580 volunteers (37% of all volunteers) worked on education in 45 different countries. The MCC currently focuses these efforts in several countries worldwide—in El Salvador, Georgia, and Morocco. To draw attention to and address the challenges girls face in educational attainment throughout the world, the Let Girls Learn initiative was launched in March 2015 by the Obama Administration through the leadership of first lady Michelle Obama as a collaboration of USAID, the MCC, the Peace Corps, and the Department of State using existing appropriated resources. U.S. Agency for International Development. The Peace Corps currently targets 35 countries for Let Girls Learn programming. Types of Education Activities

To achieve its education development goals, the U.S. government implements different types of assistance activities, including those focused on access and enrollment; education management and policy; teacher training; developing and distributing textbooks and learning materials; improving literacy; participant training and workforce development; and school construction.
Education has long been considered an important part of the U.S. foreign assistance strategy. There is general agreement that education is crucial to bettering livelihoods and improving economic stability in developing countries. According to the World Bank, an increase of one standard deviation in student reading and math scores is associated with an increase of two percentage points in annual gross domestic product (GDP) per capita growth.
Access to and quality of education continues to pose a challenge to foreign aid donors. Approximately 263 million children and youth worldwide do not attend school. For those who attend school, the quality of education is lacking—one estimate suggests that 25% of children who complete four years of primary school have not learned basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Congress has played a role in education-sector assistance through authorization of education programs and annual funding of appropriations. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195, as amended) includes provisions on education assistance. Congress has also directed that specific amounts of foreign aid budgets be spent on basic and higher education purposes. In FY2016, combined U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of State education programming amounts to about $856 million. On September 7, 2016, the Education for All Act (H.R. 4481) was approved by the House of Representatives.
Multiple U.S. departments and agencies provide education assistance to developing countries. However, three agencies—USAID, the Peace Corps, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)—accounted for 92% of assistance in FY2014. USAID makes up about two-thirds of annual funding for education. It offers an array of activities aimed at improving reading skills for 100 million primary school children, improving workforce development programs to build appropriate skills to meet developing country needs, and increasing equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments. More than one-third of Peace Corps volunteers are in the education sector, teaching students and teachers in rural communities in 45 different countries. The MCC currently conducts programs in the education sector in two countries (El Salvador and Georgia); a program in Morocco is expected to begin soon.
To achieve its education development goals, the U.S. government implements different types of assistance activities, such as
education management and policy reform, teacher training, developing and distributing textbooks and learning materials, improving literacy, participant training and workforce development, and school construction.
In 2015, the Obama Administration launched the Let Girls Learn initiative to address the challenges girls face in educational attainment. When girls are educated, the development impact is especially strong—for example, an extra year of secondary school for girls can increase future earnings by 18%. USAID, MCC, the Peace Corps, and the Department of State are participants in Let Girls Learn efforts.
This report provides a descriptive profile of recent foreign aid education sector activities, outlining actors, policy, funding levels, and programs.