The Basic Education Coalition is grateful to Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) who, on International Day of Education, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act for an additional five fiscal years to equitably expand access to basic education for children around the globe.
“The reauthorization of the bipartisan READ Act would create strategies to provide clarity and transparency on the United States’ efforts to advance basic education in developing countries. This is an important step to help make up for the learning loss caused by COVID-19 and advance educational opportunities for children worldwide.” — Senator Rubio
“Given the terrible learning loss around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and troubling backsliding on girls' education in places such as Afghanistan, reauthorizing the READ Act couldn't come at a more important time. Doing so will ensure U.S. development programs continue to focus on providing basic education around a sound, long-term strategy – one that includes making sure girls have access to schooling. This legislation has strong bipartisan support, which we saw through its original passage into law in 2017 and SFRC passage of this reauthorization last Congress. I hope we can get it through the Senate and signed into law in the 118th Congress.” — Senator Durbin
The need to pass the READ Act Reauthorization has never been more important. As the world grapples with learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this critical legislation would continue the goal of providing access to education for some of the hundreds of millions of young people who are currently not in school, or who do not have access to education because of ongoing impacts of the pandemic, conflict, or political instability.
The READ Act amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and states that it shall be the policy of the United States to work with partner countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations, including faith-based organizations, to promote quality basic education through programs and activities that:
1. respond to the needs of developing countries to achieve improvements in literacy;
2. strengthen education systems and expands access to safe learning;
3. promote education as a foundation for sustained economic growth; and
4. monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of basic education programs in partner countries.
In addition to its bipartisan, bicameral support, the READ Act Reauthorization has broad support from diverse civil society stakeholders, coalitions, and partners.
Read Senator Rubio’s full press release here.