Send My Friend to School ’09 kicks off on January 23rd with a new, exciting action for ’09 and loads of free materials and information. The campaign is once again asking UK school pupils to join forces with young campaigners around the world and keep up the pressure on global leaders to end the education crisis.

Nelson Mandela, Michael Morpurgo and Dakota Blue are among some of the high profile supporters of this year’s campaign. They have all contributed a story, poem, speech or reflection for this year’s main campaigning action, the BIG READ, organised by The Global Campaign for Education (GCE).

THE BIG READ on April 22nd is the chance to be part of a huge event happening in 100 countries. The theme is the importance of literacy and how the ability to read and write opens doors for all children. After reading inspiring words from influential people, pupils will be asked to write their own stories, speeches and poems and then read them out at a school-wide read & write-athon to an audience of MPs, teachers, parents and journalists. Pupils can then use the power of their words by sending all their work to the Prime Minister to remind him and other world leaders to keep their promise on education.

In 2000, world leaders promised that every child in the world would complete a quality education by 2015, but there are still over 70 million children around the world who do not get a chance to go to school. At the current rate of progress there will be more than 40 million children out of school by 2015.

Philippa Lei, Chair of the Global Campaign for Education UK policy group said: “We want to see the UK government living up to its spending commitment and prioritising countries properly. We are also urging the government to use its influence with other donor countries to commit their fair share of the funding gap as well as tackling institutions like the World Bank and the IMF to remove damaging conditions.

“Universal primary education means six years of schooling, so to meet the 2015 deadline involves full enrolment by 2010 at the latest. This is looking unattainable…time is running out fast. What we need is a combination of money, good governance and a commitment to tackling inequality if we are to reach the target of achieving a quality primary education for every child in the world.” (* see notes to editors 4)

$7bn dollars = the funding gap for basic schooling in poor countries.
This is just 10% of what Britain spent on recapitalising the banks this Autumn.

Free resources include: an 8 minute DVD, a collectable series of postcards featuring letters from 16 world alphabets, campaign posters, stickers and a teachers’ guide. The website www.sendmyfriend.org will feature a range of interactive resources to support classroom learning. Teachers will be able to zoom in to find out which schools are taking part via an interactive map and give students the chance to decorate the door of 10 Downing Street with a design of their choice, which can be stored in the online gallery. More in-depth information includes: lesson plans and activity ideas, films including a ‘Spotlight on Tanzania‘ section and case studies of children who miss out on education.

-ENDS-

Editor's Notes:

1. For further information and to set up interviews contact:

Karen Garvin on 020 8442 1362/07971 576917 karen.garvin@actionaid.org

Cara Griffith on 020 7782 1595 cgriffith@atl.org.uk

Photographs and film footage are available by contacting the above.

2. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a coalition of child rights activists, teachers’ unions and development organisations 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:

• 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
• Promotes the importance of quality, equity, gender and inclusion of all children, during international and national level discussions about education planning and delivery
• 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
• 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

5. The story so far:

• 2000 – World leaders promise a primary education for all by 2015
• 2003 – GCE smashes the world record for the Biggest Lesson ever, with two million children taking part
• 2004 – Two and a half million take part in The Big Lobby, bringing politicians back to school and taking over parliaments and official buildings
• 2005 – Five million ‘buddies’ – each representing one of the 100 million children out of school – are sent to world leaders.
• 2006 – My Friend Needs a Teacher – over six million campaigners in 112 countries highlight the global teacher shortage
• 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
• 2008 – 8.8 million children in over 100 countries took part in a record breaking ‘World’s Biggest Lesson’.