A/66/269 and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) recognizes that funding of education is a basic and strategic investment. Under the plan, it is proposed to raise public expenditure on education to 4 per cent of GDP by 2012. 37. Some legal frameworks devolve financing responsibilities to subnational entities. In Iceland, the Compulsory School Act No. 19 of 2008, provides that the municipalities shall finance the capital investment costs of compulsory education. In Thailand, the National Education Act, 1999 authorizes the State and local bodies to levy educational taxes as appropriate. Some countries having a federal system make specific financing arrangements in terms of the competence and responsibility of federal and provincial (state) authorities. 27 3. Mobilization of additional resources for education 38. Legal instruments can enable the mobilization of additional resources for education. A 2 per cent education cess on all central taxes levied in India has resulted in an important expansion of funding for the elementary education sector. Similarly, the National Plan of China, mentioned above, proposes an education surtax accounting for 3 per cent of the value-added tax, to be spent specifically on educational undertakings. Mobilizing additional resources through such special taxation schemes is crucial in reinforcing budgetary provisions. 28 39. Public investment in basic education can be enhanced by mobilizing additional resources from contributions of local bodies, private donors and communities through institutional mechanisms that supplement Government funding. For example, the Tanzania Education Authority, under the Education Fund Act, 2001 can “receive gifts, donations, grants or other moneys on behalf of the Fund”. Similar mechanisms exist, for instance, in India with the Bharatiya Shiksa Kosh (education fund) and in Nigeria with the Education Tax Fund. It must be ensured that the modus operandi of all such institutional mechanisms is fully respectful of transparency and accountability. 40. The present report focuses only on financing education through public resources. However, it is clear that the private sector can complement State initiatives in providing education by entering into partnerships with Governments for equitably sharing responsibilities. 29 It should, however, be ensured that such partnerships operate within a legal framework that requires full compliance with human rights norms and with standards of quality education. C. Concerns requiring further consideration 41. As described above, human rights instruments clearly establish State obligations to finance education. Translating these obligations into practice requires a number of legal and policy instruments to ensure that investment in education is __________________ 27 28 29 10 For instance, in India, within the framework of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the Federal Government will contribute 65 per cent of the public funding of education as against the 35 per cent contribution of States. In this context, it is important to note that reflections on innovative financing in education include several proposals for new mechanisms intended to offset the investment deficit in education and sustain funding over the long term. Jakarta Declaration, adopted at the International Conference on the Right to Basic Education as Fundamental Human Right and Legal Framework for its Financing, December 2005. 11-44589