By Own Correspondent
In a shocking revelation, a joint report by the Tax and Education (TaxEd) Alliance and its partners has exposed a staggering 18,846,517 girls currently out of primary school in Africa.
The report highlights a direct correlation between this alarming statistic and an annual loss of USD 29 billion in education funding, resulting from aggressive tax avoidance by the wealthiest entities and individuals on the continent.
Titled “Transforming Education Financing in Africa: A Strategic Agenda for the African Union Year of Education,” the report emphasizes that sealing tax loopholes and implementing fair, gender-responsive taxation could potentially generate an additional USD 146 billion annually in Africa. Allocating just 20% of these funds (USD 29.2 billion) to the education sector could cover the costs for 25 million primary school children.
Joy Mabenge, the Country Director of ActionAid Zimbabwe, expressed dismay over the situation, stating,
“It is appalling that over 18 million girls are missing school in Africa due to inadequate investment in the education sector when appropriate action in addressing gaps in taxation, debt, and austerity offers a viable solution.”
The report delves into the detrimental impact of regressive taxation policies, burgeoning debt, and austerity measures on education funding across the continent.
Notably, 28 out of 52 African Union countries examined are allocating more than 12% of their national budgets to debt repayment, with 15 of them spending more on servicing debt than on education. This burden has led to International Monetary Fund recommendations for 96% of these countries to cut or freeze spending on public sector workers, including teachers, exacerbating the crisis.
Ashina Mtsumi, Coordinator of the Tax and Education Alliance, emphasized the disproportionate impact of austerity on women and girls in Africa, hindering their access to education and limiting future opportunities.
Solange Akpo, Regional Coordinator of the Africa Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA), called for decisive action on tax, debt, and austerity to transform education financing across the continent.
The report has garnered support from various organizations, including ActionAid, ANCEFA, Education International, and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, among others.
The alliance urges African countries to prioritize sustainable, gender-responsive domestic financing for education, leveraging fair and progressive taxation while pushing for urgent debt relief and global debt architecture reform.
This pressing issue demands immediate attention and collaborative efforts to ensure that every African child has access to quality education, breaking the shackles of gender disparity and fostering a brighter future for the continent,adds the alliance.
The Tax and Education Alliance collaborates with tax justice and education stakeholders globally to revolutionize domestic financing for public education, ensuring resources are raised and spent sustainably, progressively, and with a gender-responsive approach.
