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The Case for A Global Business Coalition for Education, a new report by the Brookings Institution

2011-09-19 · By the Brookings Institution

The Case for A Global Business Coalition for Education

According to a Brookings Institution report released this month, the global education crisis in developing countries could be addressed through a coordinated effort undertaken by businesses through a special coalition.

In “The Case for A Global Business Coalition for Education”, Dr. Justin W. Van Fleet argues that “as direct stakeholders in the quality of education of the world’s children and youth, the business community has tremendous assets to bring to bear on the global learning crisis.” However, he argues, at the moment these assets are so inefficiently deployed that they are rendered barely effective.

The answer? A Global Business Coalition for Education. A similar model already exists in the form of the Global Business Coalition for Health (GBC Health), a 200-member organization formed in the last decade, and now an influential voice in the global health arena. Dr. Fleet points out that GBC Health has yielded significant benefits not just for society but for the business community.

As cited by the report, there are currently 127 emerging-market companies in the Financial Times Global 500 (compared with only 32 in 2002). Meanwhile, the report also highlights some harrowing global education statics. Consider, for example that in the developing world there are 67 million children out of primary school and 72 million more without access to junior/lower secondary education opportunities.

As more and more companies bring their business to emerging economies, the grave education shortfall in the developing world poses a serious threat to business “irrespective of location or industry.”

For more information about how the global education crisis affects the business community and what private sector companies can do to help, read The Case for A Global Business Coalition for Education.