World: G7: Education cuts threaten global stability

World Source: Plan International G7: Education cuts threaten global stability 15 June 2026Leaders must treat funding for learning as a core investment in global peace, protection and prosperity. As the G7 summit begins in France, Plan International is calling on leaders to increase development and humanitarian spending on education. In an open letter , co-signed with more than 190 other organisations, we are urging attendees to treat funding for learning as a core investment in global peace, protection and prosperity. The appeal comes in response to the alarming data that the number of children and young people out of school has risen for the seventh consecutive year, now reaching to 273 million children out of school worldwide. The warning also comes as the situation is expected to get dramatically worse – international aid to education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion in 2026, a 24 percent drop from 2023 levels. This would leave another six million children out of school by the end of next year. This stark forecast comes at the time low- and lower-middle-income countries face an estimated annual education financing gap of $97 billion , underscoring the scale of the crisis confronting governments and donors. For Plan International, this is not only an education issue but a protection issue. When schools close or become unaffordable, girls face a sharply higher risk of child marriage, early pregnancy and exploitation. In some settings, limited educational opportunities also increase the risk of child recruitment by armed groups. “In a world gripped by rising instability, education is one of the smartest investments leaders can make in a safer, fairer and more just world,” said Yona Nestel, Plan International’s Policy and Advocacy Lead on Education. “At a time of rising conflict and deepening inequality, G7 leaders cannot claim to champion security and economic prosperity while stepping back from one of their most effective tools to achieve both.” In the open let