In his address to Congress yesterday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown stressed the importance of universal primary education and called on nations to ensure that all children are able to go to school. The Global Campaign for Education UK, a coalition of child rights activists, teachers’ unions and development organisations, welcomes his championing of the education cause in this all-important political arena. They also praised President Obama's reiteration of his pledge to global education in his recent budget request.

“Prime Minister Brown is right to point out that the 75 million children around the world who are out of school today are critical to the global economic recovery,” said Joseph O’Reilly of the GCE UK.

“The UK, US and other nations must work together to ensure that our commitment to basic education is met and to improve global security and the economy. These important statements lay the groundwork for a major and much needed increase in global action in support of education.”

“However it's crucial that such warm words are matched by the delivery of hard cash. The UK is already committed to spending over £1 billion per year from 2010, but unless there is a significant acceleration in education spending, the UK is likely to fall short of the Prime Minister’s own target.

“DFID must effectively triple aid disbursements to education within the next two years from the present base of about £372 million if it is to meet its own funding commitments,” concluded Mr O’Reilly.

ENDS

1. For further information contact:
Cara Griffith on 020 7782 1595 cgriffith@atl.org.uk

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.