VSO asks you to join 1GOAL: Education for All
20/04/2010 12:33:00
“Irish Coalition Group calls for ‘Education for All’ by 2015”
20 April 2010
The Irish Coalition of the Global Campaign for Education (ICGCE), an international campaign movement, today launched ‘Global Action Week 2010’ at an event in Leinster House, Dublin, attended by Mr Peter Power TD, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for Overseas Development. The group called for governments worldwide to achieve ‘Education for All’ by 2015.
The GCE’s Global Action Week happens every April around the world. It’s a time when teachers, children, parents and people internationally unite in their demands for education. Last year the campaign centred on ‘The Big Read’, in which 1000s of Irish people, and 14 million people globally, took part.
This year the campaign theme is ‘1GOAL: Education for All’. In tandem with publicity surrounding the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, and with support from FIFA, the GCE are asking people to sign an online petition (www.join1goal.org) calling on governments globally to improve the financing of quality public education.
Speaking at the launch today Moira Leydon, Chairperson of the ICGCE and Assistant Secretary General of the ASTI, said,
“Today 72 million children around the world are out of school. This needs to be addressed through increased education financing.
But progress has been made since 2000. Thanks to governments and people taking action, 40 million more children are in school.
The coalition commends education programming that has been supported by Irish Aid to date. We welcome a continued prioritisation of education in poverty reduction and hunger alleviation activity.
Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power, who today launched Global Action Week for Education, said:
“Education is a fundamental human right and a core priority of the Government’s development aid programme. It is central to reducing poverty, hunger and child mortality, and to creating opportunities for economic growth.
“In 2008, Irish Aid, the Government’s aid programme, provided over €83 million for measures to improve education in the developing world. We work closely with our partners in Governments in developing countries to strengthen education systems by supporting school-building programmes, teacher-training, the provision of books and reform of school curricula.
Ireland’s investment in Education is well above the international average and reflects our commitment to achieving universal primary education by 2015.
“Put simply, it means that thousands of girls and boys are at school as a result of Ireland’s aid programme. In eight African countries where Irish Aid is strongly focused on education, primary enrolment has grown by 34 million children over the past 35 years - a fivefold increase. These are achievements of which we can be very proud.
However, much more remains to be done if we are to meet the goals by 2015. Some 72 million children of school-going age are still out of school today. It is important to remember that education is intricately linked to the other Millennium Development Goals. By tackling hunger among school-going children, we improve their ability to learn. And by providing education we improve livelihoods and reduce the risk of hunger.
We recognise that sustainable improvements in education systems will require a long-term commitment of resources by national governments and by the international community. Irish Aid will continue to prioritise education in 2010.“
The ICGCE is the Irish branch of an international coalition of charities, NGOs, civil society organisations and education unions. The group mobilises the public to put pressure on governments to deliver on promises made in 2000 to provide free education for all children.
Today the group launch their official education advocacy document, outlining their strategy for achieving Education for All by 2015.
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More Information: Contact Deirdre Finlay, VSO Ireland, on behalf of the coalition, on Tel: +353 1 6401060, 086-3707050 or email Deirdre.finlay@vso.ie
Editor's notes
To participate in workshops, activities and to download resources related to the ICGCE’s Global Action Week 2010, visit www.campaignforeducation.ie
To join the campaign and sign your name for those who cannot, visit www.join1goal.org. The more people who sign up, the bigger the pressure we can put on governments worldwide to finance education.
The Irish coalition group’s new campaign video is available for viewing here: www.youtube.com/GCEIreland
The GCE campaign, as a worldwide global movement, has six education goals set until 2015. See here for a full list: www.campaignforeducation.org/en/why-education-for-all/education-promises/
The ICGCE is calling on the Irish government to meet is commitment to 0.7% of GDP by 2012 and, in particular, committing at least 7% of it’s ODA to achieving the ‘Education for All’ Goals (as listed above).
ICGCE’s advocacy document was launched today and is available from Alison Gilliand at the INTO, email alisong@into.ie
The ICGCE group in Ireland includes VSO Ireland, Suas, SARI, NYCI, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam Ireland, the INTO and the ASTI. Full list here: www.campaignforeducation.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=68
Irish Aid recently supported the Irish coalition group with a development education grant for the creation of a school’s resource pack.
Moira Leydon, Chairperson of the ICGCE, is available for interview.
