THE DEPARTMENT of Education called for the prioritization of education investment during the Global Education Meeting 2021 over the weekend.

Co-hosted by UNESCO and the Government of Paris, the high-level meet aims to create a global political momentum to raise the profile of education and adopt the “Paris Declaration” which renews national and international leaders’ commitment to education investment and accelerate progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).

“We should adhere to the principle of shared responsibility to increase our education financing. I believe that investing in our schools, especially our teachers, is one of the vital forces behind global education recovery and a catalyst to education transformation,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that building reinforced global cooperation for the transformation of education towards the full realization of SDG 4 requires prioritization on education investment.

“We have two powerful tools. First, a renewed and strengthened steering committee and the leadership of UNESCO, and second, a new roadmap for better investment in education, but we need your firm commitment to this joint undertaking because only together we can meet the promises we made for the generations to come,” Azoulay emphasized.

Meanwhile, international expert on Tax Policy and Public Expenditure Management Atty. Kim Jacinto Henares said that “the real viable way to finance education [in a country] is through domestic revenue mobilization. This is by having a tax system that is simple, fair, transparent, and has good tax administration.”