The UK has committed £217 million for three major educational projects across Commonwealth countries. The funding will help to support global education data gathering, teacher training in Rwanda, as well as programmes in Pakistan to get girls and vulnerable children into school.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that “the UK is proud to be a world leader in championing girls’ education. The funding…will help end the injective of education inequality and give millions more children the chance of a better life.”

About £60m of the pledge will go to the Girls in Rwanda Learn (GIRL) programme. The project will work with the Rwandan government to help improve teachers’ English language skills and provide technical support and to further improve the quality of education and ensure girls remain in schools.

The majority of the funding - up to £130m - will go to GOAL’s Action for Learning Project in Pakistan, to help get girls and vulnerable children back into classrooms. The programme works with local authorities to train teachers, improve school management, and reduce the barriers and education costs for girls.

The Data for Foundational learning programme, which supports UNESCO to track children’s learning outcomes across the world, will receive £27m. Better data will help policymakers to understand what works.