“Education is a right”. These simple but powerful words were in the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which sough to achieve universal primary education in 15 years. As the focus shifts to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is growing discussion among the global community on not just enrolling students but ensuring they are also learning.

The recently completed Oslo Summit on Education Development sought to do just that. The high level meeting highlighted important changes to improve education-learning outcomes. The summit is intended to help, and provide education for children who have been denied. One of the ultimate goals of the summit is to close the $39 billion annual gap in external funding, which will ensure that every child attends pre-primary, primary, and secondary school.

The government of Norway initiated the Oslo Summit and it plans to establish a Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunities. Norway wants other governments, philanthropists, and the private sector to help invest in education. This idea is similar to the one the health sector was able to accomplish. Investment in the health sector has led to mass vaccine distribution, which has helped combat HIV, Malaria, and other diseases. Similarly, investment in global education could save the lives of millions of children across the globe. Read more about it here.