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| Ami Vitale / Oxfam / Mauritania |
| News - Global Action Week Date: 27th April Global Campaign for Education In Kaalfontein Primary School, Tembisa, Ekurhurleni, Johannesburg ZOLA went back to school to vote for teachers on Freedom Day  Today Zola and the Takalani Sesame Muppets joined education campaigners in 112 countries, by going back-to-school, meeting teachers and find out more about the education that young children are struggling to get in the township, Tembisa, Johannesburg.
The hugely popular, Kwaito artist, Zola, was greeted by a school of very excited teachers and students, singing his hit “don’t cry”. Like other celebrities and campaigners Zola was shocked at the state of education that children are currently getting in Africa. On visiting the school, he expressed:  “It makes me angry, to see this. This school, it’s basically just containers. They have 1 teacher per 60 kids which is ridiculous. They come and do short days, just 4 hours from 7 – 1, then they go home and other children come in the afternoon for 4 hours. This is completely dysfunctional, kids are meant to go to school for an allocated 7 hours every day. (Without an education) instead of these kids growing up to be a doctor, they will make the money fast by stealing peoples cell phones.”
Children and Teachers retuned back to school on South Africa’s Freedom Day to talk to Zola about the needs of teachers, and to once again vote for something they voted for12 years ago – good quality education for every child in South Africa. Zola expressed great concern that the South Africa government has not met their promises: “We go to provinces to tell people to vote, but what can we tell them when their promises are not being kept. And South Africa has the budget for other things, I just don’t understand. If the government can build four prisons – why can’t they build one primary school and pay teachers, because if they don’t do this, these children will end up in prison.”  Zola was invited back to school by the Global Campaign for Education, during the Global Action Week which is focusing on the immediate need for more teachers across the globe. Worldwide at least 18 million more teachers are needed for every child to receive a quality education - currently only 26 million are in schools. In South Africa there will have a shortage of 35,000 teachers by 2008, mainly due of HIV&AIDS. Africa is loosing many more teachers to AIDS every year, than are being trained and recruited.
The Global Campaign for Education, which recently moved its international secretariat office to Johannesburg, has been campaigning for free quality education for all for seven years now, and putting pressure on governments to keep their promises. Yesterday Angelina Jolie lent her support to the campaign from Namibia: "The fact that 100 million children are out of school is shocking!”  “I'm so glad this (Global Action Week) is happening… the campaign shows the power of young people in the world who are advocating the rights of other young people to have an education."
Two weeks ago Nelson Mandela, encourage all children, parents and teachers who have taken part in the Global Campaign for Education: “Last year we made strides in the fight against poverty and I’m proud of every one of you that joined the campaign. Now the more difficult task begins to make the world keep its promises”.
 Notes
The Global Campaign for Education is a mature, grassroots campaign, which has been mobilizing teacher unions, NGOs and child activists for seven years in over 100 countries to demand that governments in the North and South live up to their promises to achieve Education for all. Over 100 countries are now active in the campaign. Founder members are: ActionAid International, Education International, Oxfam and Global March on Child Labour. www.campaignforeducation.org Global Action Week In April every year GCE holds a Global Action Week, to drawn attention to the Education for All promises made in April, 2000, in Dakar. The public present their demands for free quality education to officials by visiting them at home, marching through streets, plastering cities with their messages, and inviting them back to school. Global Action Week 2006 is takes place in over 100 countries. Campaigners of all ages and all backgrounds are collecting evidence for the need of good quality teachers and presenting these to officials as they go back-to-school and also national ‘big hearings’ that bring the situation to the nation’s attention. www.campaignforeducation.o../action/2007/action.html Every Child Needs A Teacher Is the name of the 2006 Global Action Week. We are calling on all governments and international institutions to ensure massive investment of aid and domestic resources to ensure that all children – including the 100 million currently out of school – can be taught by a professional well-motivated teacher in a class no bigger than 40. Global Campaign for Education Demands: Teachers must be at the heart of any government's effort to achieve EFA. Otherwise the only lesson children will be learning is how to cope to a life condemned to poverty. Poor country governments need to act now, making the necessary investments to ensure there are enough trained teachers to get all children into school and make sure they are taught in classes no bigger than 40. Crucially, they must also support teachers with quality training, respect and a living wage. Rich countries must increase their aid to education and ensure that it can be spent on hiring and supporting teachers. They must also work with the World Bank and IMF to ensure that harmful conditions don't undermine countries' ability to invest in building a professional teaching force. Media Contact Person: Alex Kent +27 11 447 4111 or + 27 76 428 5390 alex@campaignforeducation.org Alex Kent respond to: alex@campaignforeducation.org Campaigns and Communications Coordinator Global Campaign for Education office +27 11 447 4111 mobile +27 76 428 5390 IF YOU CAN READ THIS... THANK A TEACHER. Global Action Week - 24-30th April 2006 - www.campaignforeducation.org |
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