Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, today pledged his support for the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), the world’s largest children’s campaign which is calling on world leaders to keep their promises that every child in the world will complete a quality primary education by 2015.
There are 72 million children who are currently out of school around the world and, as part of GCE’s Global Action Week, Mark Lazarowicz will be taking part in the Big Read on 22 April in order to highlight the importance of education.
Mark said: “A number of schools in my constituency have taken part in this campaign in previous years, and I know that some have already decided to take part in this year’s campaign. I would urge all schools in Edinburgh North & Leith to think about taking part this year.”
Jan Raven, Actress and ActionAid Ambassador, was also on hand to show her support for the campaign:
“With 75 million children around the world still out of school, we’re asking politicians and decision makers to speed up their efforts to end the education crisis by providing a primary education for all by 2015. Unless we act now, 40 million children will still be out of school by this date. Learning to read and write opens doors for children, which is why we’re asking MPs from across the parties to get involved in the Big Read to highlight the importance of literacy.”
Thousands of children up and down the UK will get involved in The Big Read on 22 April, as part of a mass event also happening in 100 countries worldwide. Pupils will invite MPs to attend a school-wide read and write-athon, where they will read inspiring words form influential people including Nelson Mandela, and will write and read out their own stories about their experience of literacy. Pupils will then send their words to the Prime Minister before he flies off to the G8 in Italy in June.
Since 2000, when world leaders promised that every child in the world would have completed a quality primary education by 2015, millions of schoolchildren worldwide have taken part in the GCE to make sure that this promise is not forgotten. Nelson Mandela, Michael Morpurgo and Dakota Blue are among some of the high profile supporters of this campaign, and have contributed a story, poem or speech for the Big Read.
More information and free packs are available by visiting www.sendmyfriend.org
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. For further comments from Mark Lazarowicz, MP, please contact his office on 0207 219 8222
For more information, photographs, film footage etc. please contact:
Karen Garvin on 020 8442 1362/07971 576917 karen.garvin@actionaid.org
Ann Noon on 01444 446728 anoon@sightsavers.org
Philippa McIntyre on 0207 014 1149 Philippa.McIntyre@ndcs.org.uk
2. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a coalition of child rights activists, teachers’ unions and development organisations from around the world, united in their determination to make the right to education a reality.
3. The GCE UK partners are:
ActionAid UK, Africa Educational Trust, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Book Aid International, Children in Crisis, Christian Aid, Consortium of Street Children, Comic Relief, Deaf Child Worldwide, Education Action International, Educational Institute of Scotland, Handicap International UK, Leonard Cheshire Disability International, Link Community Development, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, National Union of Teachers, Oxfam GB, Plan UK, Save the Children UK, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, Sightsavers International, Ulster Teachers Union, UK National Commission for UNESCO, Voluntary Service Overseas, World Vision UK.
4. The GCE UK is asking supporters to use their power of words and ensure the UK government:
o Lives up to its spending commitments on education in developing countries, to ensure £750 million – excluding debt relief – is spent in 2009/10; £1billion per year is spent between 2010 and 2015; and that those countries furthest from achieving the EFA goals are prioritised for funding
o Promotes the importance of quality, equity, gender and inclusion of all children, during international and national level discussions about education planning and delivery
o Uses its influence with institutions, like the World Bank and the IMF, to remove damaging conditions attached to their lending and grants – and encourages other governments to untie their aid from IMF approval
o Urges all donors to commit their fair share of the money necessary to help fill the education financing gap at the 2009 Fast Track Initiative donor conference
6. The story so far:
o 2000 – World leaders promise a primary education for all by 2015
o 2003 – GCE smashes the world record for the Biggest Lesson ever, with two million children taking part
o 2004 – Two and a half million take part in The Big Lobby, bringing politicians back to school and taking over parliaments and official buildings
o 2005 – Five million ‘buddies’ – each representing one of the 100 million children out of school – are sent to world leaders.
o 2006 – My Friend Needs a Teacher – over six million campaigners in 112 countries highlight the global teacher shortage
o 2007 – JOIN-UP – children and communities in 120 countries around the world joined up with human or paper chains to show world leaders their commitment to education for all
o 2008 – 8.8 million children in over 100 countries took part in a record breaking ‘World’s Biggest Lesson’