Australia and Indonesia today highlighted their shared commitment to education and helping millions of children to go to school.

World leaders and representatives from leading development agencies joined Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesia's Minister for National Development Planning Dr Armida Alisjahbana to discuss challenges in the education sector at the 'Effective Aid for Education' event at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea.

The event showcased the successful elements of development assistance in the education sector, and offered an opportunity to learn from experience.

"Education is a fundamental human right and one of the most important development investments – it is critical to efforts to reduce poverty and inequality," Mr Rudd said.

"Yet 67 million children in developing countries still miss out on an education and 27 million of them live in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Australia and Indonesia have a history of successful engagement in the education sector with our support extending from building schools and training principals, to providing university scholarships," Mr Rudd said.

Indonesia is working hard to ensure all Indonesian children receive a basic education, with almost 100 per cent enrolment of primary school-aged children.

Together Australia and Indonesia have constructed more than 2,000 schools, which has increased enrolments in disadvantaged areas. Australia is now working with Indonesia to create places for 300,000 more students over the next five years.

"Indonesia is pleased to be working with development partners to ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn," Minister Armida said.

"The lessons we have learnt in strengthening our education sector and delivering better outcomes for children can be applied more broadly across the region and can change not just lives, but whole communities and economies.

"Providing education requires a long-term commitment, and a willingness that we've seen in today's event to constantly look for ways to achieve results, to be more efficient in how we operate, and to be more accountable for the funds we spend."

To read the agreed Statement of Principles on Effective Aid for Education visit www.ausaid.gov.au

30 November 2011