Parliamentary action on education: Reaffirming the USA’s commitment to basic education globally

Congresswoman Grace Meng, representing New York state, has helped to ensure that the US Congress reaffirms its commitment to basic education globally. Photo credit: Brookings Institution.

• This case study from Congresswoman Grace Meng in the USA is part of a campaign profiling parliamentary action on education as part of World Parliament Day, held every year on 30th June.

• This year, on Monday 30th June, IPNEd is hosting an online event to hear from members of parliament taking action to ensure more children are in school and receiving a quality education. You can register here.

• Congresswoman Meng is an MP in the House of Representatives representing New York state. She is working to reaffirm the USA’s commitment to basic education access and quality for children worldwide. 

The USA has long been recognised as a key partner in ensuring equitable and quality education for children around the world.

With a changing political climate and drastic cuts to its foreign aid programmes, demonstrating and affirming commitments to basic education has never been more important. 

It is estimated that 251 million children are out of school worldwide; in low- and middle-income countries, 70% of 10-year-old children cannot read or understand a simple text.

Without basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, children are less likely to complete school, go on to secondary education and are more likely to drop-out early. This creates an early barrier that damages their lifetime earnings, job opportunities and prevents them from reaching their full potential. 

This requires urgent action and Congresswoman Grace Meng representing the New York State knows this well.

She has been on the frontlines fighting to help ensure that the USA retains its position on the global stage as a leader in basic education, despite the current deprioritsation of overseas aid by the government. 

On January’s International Day of Education, a bipartisan resolution was introduced by Grace Meng, Mike Quigley (Founder and Co-Chair of the bipartisan International Basic Education Caucus) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Co-Chair of the International Basic Education Caucus).

The resolution reaffirmed the USA’s support for access to quality, inclusive public education for children and young people, especially girls, around the world.

“Quality education should be a fundamental right,” said Congresswoman Meng. “However, millions of children around the world still lack basic access. Foundational learning is essential to reducing poverty, building peace and prosperity, and creating a stronger economic future worldwide, especially for millions of women and girls.”

The READ Act reauthorisation emphasises the importance of equitable access to quality education, especially for children like these living in Southwestern Uganda. Photo credit: UNICEF USA

The resolution highlights how access to education helps make the world safer, more peaceful, healthier, and more economically secure. 

It calls for the U.S. government to integrate education into humanitarian response efforts, meet its commitments to basic education through annual budget requests, and encourages the State Department and (now dismantled) U.S. Agency for International Development to use all means at its disposal to promote, commit to and prioritise quality education for all children, especially those furthest behind. 

This is not the first time Congresswoman Meng has affirmed the USA’s support for basic education globally.

In 2023, she worked to reauthorise the bipartisan Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act from 2017, which aimed to increase access to basic education, particularly for those furthest behind, and improve the quality of basic education and learning outcomes.

It was introduced by senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and representatives Grace Meng (D-New York) and Chris Smith (R-New Jersey).

The READ Act comprised a detailed national strategy to improve educational opportunities and to address barriers to school attendance, retention and completion. It has also involved a rigorous monitoring and evaluation process with a yearly report to Congress and the public. 

It also focused on strengthening systems and country ownership of programmes to build sustainability and ensure a continuum of education services in conflict-affected and humanitarian contexts. 

In December 2024, the READ Reauthorisation Act was passed by the U.S. Congress as part of the National Defence Authorisation Act and reauthorised the READ Act of 2017 for an additional five years.

Congresswoman Meng continues to reaffirm the USA’s commitment to basic education, so that all children are in school and learning.

Partnerships are critical to sustaining progress on learning, and parliamentary action like Congresswoman Meng’s can help to pave the way to more equitable, quality education globally.