Local MP Joins World’s Biggest Children Campaign to Demand Every Child Gets an Education

Andy Reed MP today Joined Up to the Global Campaign for Education, the world’s largest children’s campaign to demand that the 80 million children who are currently out of school are no longer denied their right to an education.

Thousands of children up and down the country are Joining Up and forming chains to demand that world leaders take action on education. In the past few years over 8000 UK schools have taken part in the campaign to get every child into school. Creating over five million ‘buddies’, they have continuously lobbied world leaders to keep their promises on education.

2007 marks the half-way point to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’S), the promises which governments made to tackle poverty by 2015. The education goal of all children completing a primary school education has a real chance of success if urgent action is taken.

Andy Reed, MP for Loughborough says:

“I am backing the Global Campaign for Education campaign because all children should have access, wherever they live. It is a disgrace that 98% of disabled children in the developing world do not go to school. Governments across the world need to take action, not just offer words.

“In Britain we have committed investment and provided for the poorest children. I am delighted that DFID Ministers have reiterated their commitment to make a difference, but we need to put more pressure on those not meeting their promises, such as Germany.”

Lucia Fry, Global Campaign for Education says:

“£3.3bn ($6.3bn) is still needed each year if world governments are to collectively honour their promise of providing free universal primary education for all by 2015. Urgency is of the utmost importance as the increase in education aid must be made in the next two years or millions of children, often the most vulnerable will continue to be denied the most basic of human rights.”

For further information on the Global Action Week please visit www.sendmyfriend.org.

ENDS

For further information contact Michelle Akande at Sightsavers International by email makande@sightsavers.org or phone 01444 44 66 86 or Sophie King at Comic Relief by email s.king@comicrelief.org or phone on 020 7820 6942

Notes to editors

• GCE coalition members include; ActionAid, ATL, Book Aid, Comic Relief, Education Action, EIS, IDCS, LCD, NASUWT, NUT, Oxfam, Plan, Save the Children, SSTA, Sightsavers International, UTU, VSO, World Vision