ATL

1GOAL: Education for all

The World Cup takes place for the first time ever this year in Africa, and the Global Campaign for Education is working with the football world to ensure that a legacy is left: to send every child on the continent to school.

Worldwide, 72 million children are unable to access primary education, with many millions more forced to drop out of school before they complete their education. Around 50% are in Africa.

When the Millennium Development Goals were agreed in 2000, world leaders promised that every child would complete a quality education by 2015. With just 5 years left to go, that target is a long way from being achieved.

ATL is backing GCE's campaign to leave a lasting legacy for the World Cup. Schools in the UK are being invited to join together with schools in over 100 countries to show their support of education for all.

What's planned?

To support for 1GOAL - Send My Friend to School, your school can:

• Make a giant supporter scarf - paint, sew, glue or knit and see how long your class or school's supporter scarf can be. Get everyone to sign their name and send it to the Prime Minister, ahead of the Millennium Development Talks in September, to remind him and other world leaders of their promise to make sure that all children have a primary education by 2015.

• Hold a World Cup assembly in your school - on Friday 11th June, World Cup kick-off day, or another date close to that time and help us celebrate the value of education while the world unites to watch its favourite sport.

• Teach your pupils about the importance of education - using real life case studies from the developing world, show your students the life-changing impact of education, and explore some of the barriers that still keep many millions of children out of school.

Timeline

• At the beginning of June, 1GOAL will be issuing scorecards grading world leaders on their contribution towards education for all

• 11 June is the 1GOAL day of action in UK schools, to conincide that week with the World Cup education political summit and the opening ceremony of the World Cup.

• 11 July is the deadline for supporter scarfs to reach 10 Downing St.

• In September, a summit will be held in New York to review the Millennium Development Goals, including the target for universal primary education.

Of the eight goals set in 2000, education is probably where the most progress has been made. Indeed there are 40 million more children in school today around the world than there were 10 years ago.

However, the United Nations recently warned that we are on the brink of breaking one of the most important promises the international community has ever made. Education is not only a universal human right but a driver of economic development and global security. The target is still only just within reach, but it will require governments to take bold decisions in the next two years, especially in the current economic climate.

Resources

Sign up on the Send my friend website now to receive a free resource pack, including a DVD, posters and stickers. You will also finds loads of learning resources, including lesson plans, teacher templates, loads of activity ideas and background information on the situation for children and teachers in the developing world.