Global Campaign for Education

You are here: Our projects > Global Campaign for Education

"The Big Read"
Global Action Week
 April 20th – 24th 2009

Did you know that in 2009, 774 million adults are illiterate and 75 million children who are not in school will be denied the chance to learn to read and write? Amongst these staggering figures are the most vulnerable, including disabled children, of whom 98% in developing countries still do not attend school (source: UNESCO).

Most would agree that every human being has the right to a basic education, but what are people who can read and write doing to change these appalling statistics?

Nelson Mandela is one of the high profile figures backing this year’s campaign and has these wise words.

"Together, you can be the generation that sees every child get the education that is their right." Nelson Mandela

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 a greater global impact than last.

Entitled "The Big Read", this year’s campaign calls for an End to Illiteracy, building on last year’s message of Quality Education to End Exclusion.

The Global Action Week takes place every year in April. The campaign is aimed at both countries in the north and south and provides a collective forum for the public to exert pressure on governments and funding agencies around the world to demand immediate action to ensure literacy for all becomes a reality.

National governments in poorer countries must make constitutional provision for every child to have a free, good quality, public education. All people, whatever their age, should have the opportunity to become literate and access to lifelong learning and skills training. Richer governments and international institutions must guarantee predictable and long-term development aid to education that enables poorer countries to deliver the full Education For All agenda, including adult literacy.
Source: GCE website

This year’s Global Campaign for Education aims to collect names from across the world to deliver to governments during the week of the 20th to 24th of April 2009 to demand that policies and resources are put in place to ensure that everyone gets an education.

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.

Achieving literacy is one way in which Handicap International supports disabled children and young people to gain greater independence, have access to vital information and be more included within their own families and communities in developing countries around the world.

For Handicap International it is imperative that the issue of inclusion in 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, Togo, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Madagascar, Niger and Vietnam 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.

Time is running out so sign up to the Big Read and take action NOW!

For more information about the Campaign in general: www.campaignforeducation.org