DFID, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, has released its new education strategy for 2010-2015, which is closely aligned with the Education for All goals: “In the last decade the number of children out of school has dropped from 103 million to 72 million and the UK Government has played a key role in this effort. However, it is a tragedy that there are still 72 million children denied an education. This strategy will set out how the UK will work towards 2015, towards making Education For All a reality.”

The strategy includes a firm commitment to funding the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, together with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. It also features a strong thread of support to conflict-affected and fragile states, which will be the focus of the 2011 Global Monitoring Report.

DFID is underlining its support for Education for All at Agenda 2010, its conference in London this week on the Millennium Development Goals, as it spells out in the conference background paper on education: “Quality education underpins all of the MDGs and is at the centre of the challenges we face in the 21st century. Health, environment, security, prosperity: all are linked by education. Not only is education a human right – it is also the best route out of poverty.”