§ 2151c.
(c)
Assistance to promote sustainable, quality basic education
(1)
Definitions
In this subsection:
(A)
Basic education
The term “basic education” includes—
(i)
measurable improvements in literacy, numeracy, and other basic skills development that prepare an individual to be an active, productive member of society and the workforce;
(ii)
workforce development, vocational training, and digital literacy informed by real market needs and opportunities and that results in measurable improvements in employment;
(iii)
programs and activities designed to demonstrably improve—
(I)
early childhood, preprimary education, primary education, and secondary education, which can be delivered in formal or nonformal education settings; and
(II)
learning for out-of-school youth and adults; and
(iv)
capacity building for teachers, administrators, counselors, and youth workers that results in measurable improvements in student literacy, numeracy, or employment.
(B)
Communities of learning
(C)
Gender parity in basic education
(D)
Marginalized children and vulnerable groups
(E)
National education plan
(H)
Relevant Executive branch agencies and officials
(2)
Policy
In carrying out this section, it shall be the policy of the United States to work with partner countries, as appropriate, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations, including faith-based organizations and organizations that represent teachers, students, and parents, to promote sustainable, quality basic education through programs and activities that—
(A)
take into consideration and help respond to the needs, capacities, and commitment of developing countries to achieve measurable improvements in literacy, numeracy, and other basic skills development that prepare an individual to be an active, productive member of society and the workforce;
(B)
strengthen educational systems, promote communities of learning, as appropriate, expand access to safe learning environments, including by breaking down specific barriers to basic education for women and girls, ensure continuity of education, including in conflict settings, measurably improve teacher skills and learning outcomes, and support the engagement of parents in the education of their children to help partner countries ensure that all children, including marginalized children and other vulnerable groups, have access to and benefit from quality basic education;
(C)
promote education as a foundation for sustained economic growth and development within a comprehensive assistance strategy that places partner countries on a trajectory toward graduation from assistance provided under this section with clearly defined benchmarks of success that are used as requirements for related procurement vehicles, such as grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements;
(D)
monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of basic education programs in partner countries; and
(E)
promote United States values, especially respect for all persons and freedoms of religion, speech, and the press.
(3)
Principles
In carrying out the policy referred to in paragraph (2), the United States shall be guided by the following principles of aid effectiveness:
(C)
Coordination
(ii)
Multilateral programs and initiatives
(E)
Effectiveness
Programs and activities supported under this subsection—
(i)
shall be consistent with the policies and principles set forth in this subsection;
(ii)
shall be designed to achieve specific, measurable goals and objectives that are directly related to the provision of basic education (as defined in this section); and
(iii)
shall include appropriate targets, metrics, and indicators that—
(I)
move a country along the path to graduation from assistance provided under this subsection; and
(II)
can be applied with reasonable consistency across such programs and activities to measure progress and outcomes.
(F)
Transparency and accountability
(4)
Priority and other requirements
The President shall ensure that assistance provided under this section to support programs and activities under this subsection is aligned with the foreign policy and economic interests of the United States and, subject to such alignment, priority is given to developing countries in which—
(A)
there is the greatest need and opportunity to expand access to basic education and to improve learning outcomes, including for marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls to ensure gender parity in basic education, or populations affected by conflict or crisis;
(B)
such assistance can produce a substantial, measurable impact on children and educational systems; and
(C)
there is the greatest opportunity to reduce childhood and adolescence exposure to or engagement in violent extremism or extremist ideologies.
([Pub. L. 87–195], pt. I, § 105, as added [Pub. L. 93–189, § 2(3)], Dec. 17, 1973, [87 Stat. 715]; amended [Pub. L. 93–559, § 5], Dec. 30, 1974, [88 Stat. 1796]; [Pub. L. 94–161, title III, § 305], Dec. 20, 1975, [89 Stat. 858]; [Pub. L. 95–88, title I, § 104], Aug. 3, 1977, [91 Stat. 535]; [Pub. L. 95–424, title I, § 105], Oct. 6, 1978, [92 Stat. 947]; [Pub. L. 96–53, title I], §§ 103, 122, Aug. 14, 1979, [93 Stat. 360], 366; [Pub. L. 96–533, title III, § 303], Dec. 16, 1980, [94 Stat. 3145]; [Pub. L. 97–113, title III, § 303], Dec. 29, 1981, [95 Stat. 1532]; [Pub. L. 99–83, title III, § 306], title XII, § 1211(a)(1), Aug. 8, 1985, [99 Stat. 215], 279; [Pub. L. 99–440, title II, § 201(a)], Oct. 2, 1986, [100 Stat. 1094]; [Pub. L. 99–631, § 1(b)(1)], Nov. 7, 1986, [100 Stat. 3519]; [Pub. L. 101–513, title V, § 562(d)(1)], Nov. 5, 1990, [104 Stat. 2031]; [Pub. L. 115–56, div. A, § 3], Sept. 8, 2017, [131 Stat. 1130].)