Thousands of students across Canada are joining in a global “Big Read” this week in an effort to draw attention to 75 million children in developing countries who do not have access to education.
Throughout Global Action Week which runs from April 20 – 26, students will watch videos and read stories by Canadian writers such as Elizabeth Hay, Wayson Choy, Jan Andrews and Frank Edwards. All wrote pieces specifically for the event.
Students will also add their names to a petition calling on the federal government to do more to support education in the developing world.
Globally, 10 million people are expected to take part in events and read from The Big Read, a book of short stories about education written by leading figures and international authors including Nelson Mandela, Natalie Portman, Desmond Tutu, and Alice Walker.
In Malawi, President Bingu wa Mutharika is taking part in the Big Read, and in Vietnam 50,000 students have entered essays in a Big Read competition.
Put on by Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and led this year by Queen Rania of Jordan, the Big Read urges students to learn about the right to education. Readers can add their names to a declaration urging governments to deliver a good quality, free, public education.
“In Canada, teachers and principals from across the country are signing up to register for the Big Read,” says Dwayne Hodgson, national coordinator for the Canadian Global Campaign for Education (CGCE), a coalition of organizations including the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.
“We have about 512 schools representing anything from classes of 10 to schools of 1,000. We’re pleased with the turnout, it’s been really exciting.”
According to GCE, worldwide there are 774 million illiterate adults, 75 million children of primary school age not in school, and 226 million children not in secondary school.
GCE called on leaders at the G-20 summit, which took place in London earlier this month, to renew their aid commitments to education and pay their share of the $16 billion needed to ensure Education for All (EFA) by 2015, a goal agreed upon by the international community in 2000.
Hodgson says that at first, the Canadian government did very well in meeting its EFA commitments, but in the last few years participation “seemed to plateau.”
“Canada’s share would be in the area of about $540 million, and we’re giving about half that right now in terms of overseas education,” he says, adding that he hopes the government can “meet the obligation” and increase the amount given each year.
“Were not asking to take away from another developmental issue—we want to see everything get what it needs—but education is an important piece of the puzzle.”
However, he adds, CGCE is pleased that the government has maintained the national assistance budget. “It wasn’t cut like we had feared.”
Six EFA goals were formulated to ensure that education, declared a human right by the UN, be promoted through international and national policies, recognizing the contribution education makes to sustainable development around the world.
While most rich countries have promised to support Education for All by 2015, GCE is worried that the current financial crisis could worsen the global situation and leave additional millions without an education.
Hodgson points out that investments in education produce long-term benefits. He says that as stimulus packages go, $16 billion is “small in comparison” to the billions provided as bail-outs for businesses in some countries since the financial downturn began.
“We feel this is actually a good investment and it’s a long term investment that’s going to help not just get shovels in the ground in developing countries but enable kids to actually realize their full potential…. There certainly is a tight correlation between going to school and survival, and both decreases in child mortality and increases in economic potential for people.”
Throughout Global Action Week which runs from April 20 – 26, students will watch videos and read stories by Canadian writers such as Elizabeth Hay, Wayson Choy, Jan Andrews and Frank Edwards. All wrote pieces specifically for the event.
Students will also add their names to a petition calling on the federal government to do more to support education in the developing world.
Globally, 10 million people are expected to take part in events and read from The Big Read, a book of short stories about education written by leading figures and international authors including Nelson Mandela, Natalie Portman, Desmond Tutu, and Alice Walker.
In Malawi, President Bingu wa Mutharika is taking part in the Big Read, and in Vietnam 50,000 students have entered essays in a Big Read competition.
Put on by Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and led this year by Queen Rania of Jordan, the Big Read urges students to learn about the right to education. Readers can add their names to a declaration urging governments to deliver a good quality, free, public education.
“In Canada, teachers and principals from across the country are signing up to register for the Big Read,” says Dwayne Hodgson, national coordinator for the Canadian Global Campaign for Education (CGCE), a coalition of organizations including the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.
“We have about 512 schools representing anything from classes of 10 to schools of 1,000. We’re pleased with the turnout, it’s been really exciting.”
According to GCE, worldwide there are 774 million illiterate adults, 75 million children of primary school age not in school, and 226 million children not in secondary school.
GCE called on leaders at the G-20 summit, which took place in London earlier this month, to renew their aid commitments to education and pay their share of the $16 billion needed to ensure Education for All (EFA) by 2015, a goal agreed upon by the international community in 2000.
Hodgson says that at first, the Canadian government did very well in meeting its EFA commitments, but in the last few years participation “seemed to plateau.”
“Canada’s share would be in the area of about $540 million, and we’re giving about half that right now in terms of overseas education,” he says, adding that he hopes the government can “meet the obligation” and increase the amount given each year.
“Were not asking to take away from another developmental issue—we want to see everything get what it needs—but education is an important piece of the puzzle.”
However, he adds, CGCE is pleased that the government has maintained the national assistance budget. “It wasn’t cut like we had feared.”
Six EFA goals were formulated to ensure that education, declared a human right by the UN, be promoted through international and national policies, recognizing the contribution education makes to sustainable development around the world.
While most rich countries have promised to support Education for All by 2015, GCE is worried that the current financial crisis could worsen the global situation and leave additional millions without an education.
Hodgson points out that investments in education produce long-term benefits. He says that as stimulus packages go, $16 billion is “small in comparison” to the billions provided as bail-outs for businesses in some countries since the financial downturn began.
“We feel this is actually a good investment and it’s a long term investment that’s going to help not just get shovels in the ground in developing countries but enable kids to actually realize their full potential…. There certainly is a tight correlation between going to school and survival, and both decreases in child mortality and increases in economic potential for people.”
