GI-ESCR and partners make a joint submission to the UK Parliament International Development Committee

This submission is aligned with our collective international advocacy efforts on public services and human rights. 

The Global Initiative for Economic, Social and cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), together with 13 civil society organisations (CSOs) welcome the joint submission to the United Kingdom (UK) Parliamentary International Development Committee. This submission aimed to inform the International Development Committee's inquiry on Investment for Development, through which UK's strategy on development finance institutions and the effectiveness of aid spending of British International Investment (BII) is being analysed.  

This submission is aligned with our collective international advocacy efforts on public services and human rights. It prolongs the work that we have been doing for years with other CSOs to raise awareness on the negative impact of for-profit commercial schools on the achievement of the right to quality, inclusive education for all, in particular the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. It aims to draw the attention of the International Development Committee to the consequences that arise due to funding, directly and indirectly, commercial and for-profit schools, such as Bridge International Academies (also known by the name of its parent company, New Globe Schools). It emphasises the growing consensus that public development assistance should not support for-profit provision of education and provides recommendations.  

*British International Investment (BII) is United Kindgom's development finance institution. It was formerly known as the CDC Group.

*Picture: Portcullis House, the London Eye and Big Ben. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in June 2005 and released to the public domain