Jamaica spends about 5.2% of GDP on education, above UNESCO benchmarks. Yet it ranked 61st of 79 in PISA reading and 62nd in maths. Spending is only half the job. Targeting it well is the other half. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Big on birdsong, bigger on impact: Pierre Izabayo of Rwanda Polytechnic’s Kitabi College is our Campus Ambassador of the Week! 🇷🇼 Founder of Restoration to Recreation, a youth-led push for ecosystem restoration. Thank you for championing youth-led conservation! 🎉 #CSA #Campus

The Caribbean broadly meets the 4% GDP education benchmark, the only developing Commonwealth sub region to do so. Yet in 2024 only 4.9% of students passed five or more CSEC subjects including Maths and English. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Malaysia spends about 3.8% of GDP on education, below the 4% UNESCO floor. And 7.5% of male secondary students are at risk of dropping out, twice the rate for girls. Spending alone will not keep boys in school. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Sri Lanka’s education spending fell from 2.1% of GDP in 2019 to about 1.5% in 2022, during its worst economic crisis since independence. Stay below 2% and decades of gains from free public education are at risk. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

The UN reminds us that global challenges require collective action. With students from 56 Commonwealth countries, the CSA embodies this spirit through collaboration, inclusion, and shared responsibility. 🌍 Happy UN Day from the Commonwealth Students’ Association! #UNDay #CSA

Bangladesh spends 1.72% of GDP on education, less than half the UNESCO minimum. Per student that is about US$223, a third of India’s and a quarter of Vietnam’s. Access is not the same as quality. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

India has promised to spend 6% of GDP on education. It was first recommended in 1966. Combined spending is still stuck near 2.7 to 2.9%, less than half the target. A pledge without a deadline is only a wish. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Pakistan declared an education emergency in 2024. Then spending fell to a record low of 0.8% of GDP. On the current path it could drop below 0.5% by 2030. An emergency needs more than a declaration. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Namibia spends 10.4% of GDP on education, second highest in the Commonwealth. But money alone does not guarantee learning. Without a matching focus on outcomes, that commitment risks not showing up in results. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Author. Youth champion. Khushi Singhal of CCS University, India, is our Campus Ambassador of the Week! 🇮🇳 BCA student and author of Education Without Direction, committed to empowering young people through education & community service Thank you for championing student voices!

Lesotho spends 6.69% of GDP on education, among the highest in the Commonwealth. But its economy is only about US$2.4 billion, so the absolute sum stays modest. Effort and capacity are not the same thing. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Mozambique’s female literacy rate is 52%, against 74% for males. That is a 22 point gap. Without targeted programmes for girls, half the population stays locked out of the literacy gains the other half enjoys. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

Rwanda reports 42% gross secondary enrolment, but net enrolment is just 25.4%. Many “enrolled” students are years behind where they should be. A good headline number can hide a real crisis. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

On Friday, prospective Commonwealth PhD Scholarship applicants joined us for a riveting session on building a competitive research proposal, writing a Development Impact Statement, and standing out. Thank you to our panelists! Applications are still open. Apply by 20th October

Tanzania spends 3.16% of GDP on education, below the 4% UNESCO floor. In regions like Tabora there can be 60 pupils for every teacher. One adult cannot give 60 children the attention they need to learn. #CostOfInaction #CSA2026

This session starts in exactly 3 hours. At 12pm GMT (1pm in London), Please ensure to check the equivalence in your local time, and most of all, register and share this information with others. We look forward to seeing you there! Register in advance us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi…

Day 19 | South Africa spends 6.7% of GDP on education, yet 43% of adults aged 25–34 lack upper secondary qualifications. The challenge is not just funding, but equity, accountability and results. How should governments be held accountable? 👇 #CostOfInaction #CSA2026