Local MP joins world's biggest children campaign to demand every child gets an education

11.28.25am GMT Fri 27th Apr 2007

Last year Annette presented a petition to 10 Downing Street of 'Teachers' made by students at local schools

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, today Joined Up to the Global Campaign for Education, the world's largest children's campaign to demand an education for the 80 million children who are currently out of school.

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 (MDGs), 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.

Annette Brooke, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children, Young People and Families said:

"I continue to be inspired by the young people involved in the Global Campaign for Education. Last year I was proud to present petitions to Downing Street from schools in my constituency.

"The Government must take the lead in meeting the Millennium Development Goal on education, and I hope that young people around the country will keep the pressure on."

Lucia Fry, Global Campaign for Education said:

"£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

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.