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network: News BACK TO CONTENT ÖEducation for all Global Action Week 2008 21-27th April Dear EQnetworkers, If you are interested in the Global action for education, here is the background of: Global Action for Education Info on: www.campaignforeducation.org Education for all. In 1990 at Jomtien, in Thailand, 155 governments promised Education For All by the year 2000. In April 2000, 185 governments met in Dakar, Senegal to recommit themselves to achieve education for all by the year 2015 and gender equity by 2005. One in two children in Africa, and one in three children in South Asia, fail to complete primary school. Girls account for the majority of the children out of school. Lack of properly equipped classrooms, relevant books and materials, trained and motivated teachers means that their education is cut short, and little is achieved in terms of learning outcomes. Systemic flaws and indifference to the needs of learners, particularly those of the underprivileged and underdeveloped sections of society, have increased the wastage rates and resulted in huge loss in the returns of investments so far made. The Global Campaign for Education takes serious note of all the broken promises. We commit itself to mobilize public opinion to hold governments, the international financial institutions and aid agencies accountable for their promises, particularly the 2005 target for gender equity in primary and secondary education, and the 2015 targets for universal completion of primary education and a 50% reduction in adult illiteracy. Principles: The campaign is driven by the conviction that quality education for all is achievable, and by the concern for the immense costs of failure. The GCE believes that in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, exclusion from education will translate into growing poverty, inequality and deprivation. The Global Campaign for Education commits itself to achieve its mission with objectivity, transparency and accountability and to follow democratic norms and processes in all its plans and actions. We believe education is A universal human right; The key to poverty alleviation and sustainable human development; A core responsibility of the state; Achievable if governments mobilize the political will and available resources. We call for Free and compulsory, quality public basic education for all children, for at eight years, and a second chance for adults who miss out; Increased provision of quality early childhood education and care; Increased public expenditure on basic education, and new resources through aid and debt relief for the poorest countries; An end to child labour; Democratic participation of, and accountability to civil society, including teachers and their unions, in Education decision making at all levels; Reform of International Monetary Fund and World Bank Structural Adjustment policies to ensure they support rather than undermined free, quality public basic education; Fair and regular salaries for teachers, properly equipped classrooms and a supply of quality text books; Inclusive and non-discriminatory provision of services for all; A Global Initiative for basic education to mobilise political will and new resources in support of national education plans to realise the 2015 targets. 2004 Global Action Week for Education 19-25 April 2004 Education International pressures politicians to provide more money and leadership in order to get all children, everywhere, into school Education International (EI), the global federation of teacher unions, has invited its member organisations, representing 26 million teachers and other education personnel worldwide, to actively participate in the Global Action Week for Education to be held in more than one hundred countries from 19 to 25 April 2004. The Global Action Week is being coordinated by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a coalition of NGOs, civil society organisations and teachers unions dedicated to fulfill the 2015 Education For All goal. Today, 113 million children are still deprived of any education. The aim of the 2004 Global Action Week is to pressure political leaders to provide more money and political leadership into the Education For All initiative. NGOs and teachers unions are invited to organise lobbies by children for children: like town meetings in the USA, imbizos in Southern Africa or panchayat in India. "The 2004 Global Action Week is a chance for millions of children to voice their right to a free, quality public education … and ask decision-makers what they will do to make that right a reality," explains Frédérique Boni, the GAW coordinator in EI. To ensure that children involved in the lobby are not manipulated, teachers and NGO coordinators have been instructed to make sure that the children involved are confident and well informed enough to speak for themselves. The age at which children can handle such an event may vary in different cultures. It is, therefore, important to prepare carefully with them ahead of time through classroom activities. One such classroom activity is the "Missing Out Map". Pupils are invited to create a map of their village or neighbourhood, and indicate on the map which households have children not attending school. "The results will often be very different from official enrolment statistics, and will reveal interesting things about why kids are not in school," says Frédérique Boni. After the community has discussed the results, they should present the map to officials during 'Politicians Go Back to School' events. The map can then be used later to measure progress and demand accountability. This activity has the support of UNESCO which has asked all Ministries of Education to cooperate, and where possible, participate. Teachers are also invited to use the GCE "classroom activity pack" to help pupils in the North to find out about why their peers in poorer countries do not get an education. Teachers can also arrange an exchange of e-mails, letters and pictures with a sister school in the developing world. Though they are not part of the GCE, many international agencies and governments around the world support the Week of Action including UNESCO, ILO and UNICEF. Last year, 1.8 million people participated in the world's largest teach-in about girls' education, also called the "World's Largest Lesson". If you want to find out what is being organised in your country, check the GCE website www.campaignforeducation.org or write to actionweek@campaignforeducation.org Dhyan E.W.M Vermeulen International Ambassador: HA Humanist Ethical and Worldview Education President of EQ Europe Education www.eqee.org BACK TO CONTENT Back European Network on Emotional Quality © 2002-2008