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<p>The UK Government helps many of the most marginalised children in Africa and Asia
gain critical foundational skills (literacy and numeracy) needed to progress in school.
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 9 in 10 children in low income countries could
not read a simple story by the age of ten. Now, with two-thirds of the academic year
lost on average worldwide due to school closures, an additional 72 million children
are expected to fall behind and fail to read by the time they leave primary school,
with girls disproportionately impacted.</p><p>In response to school closures in Pakistan,
UK technical support to the Government has provided teachers with scripted lessons
and students with learning materials, benefitting more than 8.5 million students,
including 4.3 million girls. In Ethiopia, the UK has helped the Government with school
reopening and post COVID 19 recovery plans, working to improve the literacy and numeracy
skills of over 1 million primary school aged children in the most marginalised parts
of the country. Through our presidency of the G7 this year, the UK is asking G7 members
and global education partners to raise their ambitions for girls education and endorse
two new global targets - to get 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more
girls reading by age 10 in low and lower middle income countries by 2026.</p>
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