Global Campaign for Education

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“Quality Education To End Exclusion”
Action Week April 21-27 2008

Most would agree that every human being has the right to a basic education. Yet a staggering 800 million adults worldwide cannot read or write. In addition, 80 million children do not have access to education. Often those who lose out are the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities: 98% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school (source: UNESCO).

This year Handicap International has again joined numerous non governmental organizations (NGOs), teachers unions and schools in support of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). Since 1999, the GCE has gradually been gaining momentum and this year aims to have the biggest impact ever. Entitled “Quality Education to End Exclusion”, this year’s campaign builds on the previous theme of the right to education, particularly calling for an end to all forms of exclusion.
The Global Action Week takes place every year in April. The campaign is aimed at both countries in the north and south to urge them to take responsibility to provide quality education for all. The week also provides a collective forum for the public to exert pressure on governments and funding agencies around the world to provide free and quality education to all.

With this year’s campaign, the GCE aims to unite all its coalition partners with a simple action: reach as many politicians and decision makers as possible and send them ‘Back to School’. The aim is to make them learn about the educational crisis going on in their own country’s and also find out more about the importance of the Education For All (EFA) goals.

Over 180 countries have already committed to achieving the EFA goals, which set out that education is a human right for ALL people and state that by 2015 all children must have access to a basic, good quality, free education. Schools and local groups are encouraged to invite politicians to visit them and take part in a lesson. The aim is to involve so many politicians, adults and children’s groups that GCE is able to set the world record for the biggest joint lesson in history.    

However, the challenge is not merely to guarantee universal access to education but equally to ensure good quality education. This is essential because high quality educational resources will likely result in the most beneficial economic and social outcomes. There are usually a number of causes for poor quality education, and this year the campaign focuses on three specific demands:
- class sizes of no more than 40 taught by a professionally trained teacher
- Governments to spend 25% of budgets on teaching and learning materials
- The right to 9 years of education in all legal frameworks 

Every child’s right to quality education is the grounding point for Handicap International’s education projects which promote education opportunities for disabled children and children with intellectual impairments in developing countries around the world.

For Handicap International it is imperative that the issue of inclusive education is at the forefront of the campaign. We promote an education that is accessible and appropriate for the needs of all children whatever their ability. Currently Handicap International is working with education groups in Cambodia, Nicaragua, Senegal, Rwanda, Madagascar and Niger to provide training on curriculum adaptation, child-centred teaching methodologies and accessibility of teaching and learning materials to truly make education a right for all.

For more information: www.campaignforeducation.org

Sign up for the world's biggest lesson, download teaching resources and take action: visit www.sendmyfriend.org