Justin Tomlinson MP has supported the effort made by Isambard School to raise awareness for the 'Send My Friend to School' campaign.
The global campaign for education consists of a coalition of teachers and development organisations whose aim it is to raise awareness and bring about change in order to deliver free, primary education for every child across the world.
- In 2000, there were 110 million children across the world missing out on education
- This number has halved in recent years, but there are still 58 million children out of school.
- A third of all children out of school suffer from a disability
- 54% of children out of school are girls
The organisation has looked into the problems affecting education around the world and identified several factors that impact a child's ability to attend a school
- Disability - Around 24 million children out of school suffer from a disability.
- Work - Nearly 250 million children across the world have to work to support their families.
- Distance - in rural areas there can simply be no schools nearby
- Danger - often children have to flee their homes due to war or conflicts
- Drop-outs - if the education is not to a good standard, children struggle to see why they should bother
- Lack of trained teachers - 1.7 million more teachers will need training if primary education is to be delivered to all children
Pupils at Isambard have all signed a letter which asks world leaders to put the issue of education for all at the top of the global agenda.
Justin is the former chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, and has promised to deliver the students' letter directly to the Prime Minister. Justin has actively campaigned on global education for a number of years and has hosted the Global Partnership for Education in Parliament a number of times.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "Education is the key for people to unlock their potential and give themselves a better quality of life. Pupils at Isambard have made this issue a priority and raised awareness of the campaign. We need schools across the land to get in touch with their elected representatives to keep this issue at the top of the global agenda, just like the pupils at Isambard have. The future prosperity of our world relies on a highly skilled and trained generation, who all should have the right to a decent education."
