U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education, FY 2024-2029

The U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2024–2029) affirms the U.S. government’s commitment to investing in and supporting quality and inclusive education worldwide. The Strategy provides a framework, with shared objectives and strategic approaches, to achieve a world where resilient countries enable all learners to gain the education and skills needed to build more hopeful and prosperous futures for themselves, their families, communities, and countries. This brief provides an overview of the Strategy.

The Strategy originates from the idea that quality education is transformational for individual learners, for communities, and beyond. It is a foundational element needed for countries to achieve their development objectives and for the global community to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.

Power of Education 

Through the collective action framed by the Strategy, the U.S. government is working to dismantle obstacles and expand access to quality education that can build skills, promote innovation, combat harmful social norms and inequalities, enable the next generation of leaders, and create ever-expanding opportunities for individuals, communities, and partner countries.

Global Challenge

Unfortunately, too many students face extraordinary obstacles to learning. As of the launch of this Strategy, it is estimated that 70 percent of ten-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read a simple text and less than 25 percent of youth in those countries are on track to attain the skills needed to thrive in school, work, and life.

U.S. Government’s Approach

Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts and crises disrupting education, U.S. government programs increased the number of learners who obtain foundational reading skills and meet country benchmarks in 15 countries during and after the pandemic emergency. Over the course of the previous 2019–2023 USG Strategy on International Basic Education, the U.S. government reached more than 34 million learners annually through international basic education programs.

The U.S. government will continue building on these efforts through the 2024–2029 Strategy, which retains the U.S. government’s core focus on increasing learning outcomes and expanding access to quality education, particularly for the most historically marginalized, from the 2019–2023 Strategy. This update integrates lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, including strengthening education systems to be more inclusive and resilient, and focuses on three shared objectives that can be achieved using four strategic approaches.

Learn More

To learn more about the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2024– 2029) and explore an interactive map of program information and results, please visit this page.