To address this concern, a group of organizations and leaders – including UniCef and the United nations Secretary-General’s Special envoy for Global education, Gordon Brown, launched education Cannot Wait – a fund for education in emergencies. Geared towards rapid disbursement in the immediate aftermath of a crisis and sustained support over the longer term, such a fund could help bridge the gap in education financing. Two factors stand out as critical to its success. first, there is a global shortfall of around US$8.5 billion a year – an average of US$113 per child – in the funding 219 needed to educate the estimated 75 million children affected by crises. To make up that deficit, the fund for education in emergencies would need to involve regional governments in conflict-affected areas, the private sector and philanthropists. Second, governance arrangements would be needed for effective coordination across United nations agencies, multilateral partnerships such as the Global Partnership for education, and aid organizations. Coordination could give rise to partnerships that successfully bridge the divide between humanitarian responses and development expertise. BOx 2.3 BRAzIL AND vIET NAM: MAkING THE GRADE B Brazil and Viet Nam offer valuable lessons on reforming razil’s successes were driven by multiple reforms education systems. that began in the mid-1990s and included the establishment of an independent evaluation body, In 2012, students in Viet Nam achieved mathematics and which became the Evaluation System for Basic reading scores in the Programme for International Student Education. The system now serves as a transparent Assessment (PISA) that were far higher than expected given reporting mechanism and a common method for the country’s income level. Fifteen-year-olds performed measuring learning achievements. High-performing on a par with their peers in Germany and outperformed schools are allowed greater autonomy, while students in the United Kingdom and the United States. This underperforming schools receive support for achievement resulted from the country’s commitment to improving standards. measuring success and providing resources to achieve its education goals. By 2012, Viet Nam was allocating Brazil also increased funding for education, which 21.4 per cent of its national budget to education. Teachers reached 6.3 per cent of GDP by 2012. The central were capable and absenteeism was very low. government’s financing facility targeted funds to schools in low-performing municipal education In Brazil, meanwhile, success was recorded in enrolment, systems, and it now funds pre-primary education increased equity and learning outcomes. Between 2003 as well. Teacher training improved and equity was and 2012, enrolment rates for 15-year-olds increased strengthened with Bolsa Escola, a programme that from 65 per cent to 78 per cent. Many of the children provided cash transfers to poor households. entering the school system were from socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Also between 2003 and 2012, The examples of Viet Nam and Brazil show that Brazilian students’ average PISA scores rose by 25 points; accelerating educational progress for the children left for disadvantaged pupils, the increase was 27 points. furthest behind can produce positive results. Source: Bodewig, Christian, ‘What explains Vietnam’s stunning performance in PiSa 2012?’, east asia & Pacific on the rise, World Bank blogs, 11 december 2013, , accessed 22 January 2015. The World Bank, ‘Government expenditure on education as % of GdP’, , accessed 12 february 2016. hanushek, eric a., and ludger Woessmann, Universal Basic Skills: What countries stand to gain, oeCd Publishing, 2015, pp. 31–33. Bruns, Barbara, david evans and Javier luque, Achieving World-Class Education in Brazil: The next agenda, The World Bank, Washington, d.C., 2012, pp. 7, 40, 11, 8. UneSCo institute for Statistics, database, , accessed 10 february 2016. The STaTe of The World’S Children 2016 63