"Millions of parents, teachers and children around the world are calling on their governments to provide free, good quality, basic education for all the world's children. They are part of the Global Campaign for Education; we add our voice to their call."
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel
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The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a civil society movement that aims to end the global education crisis. Together we hold governments to account for their promises repeatedly made to provide Education for All. The GCE's mission is to make sure that governments act now to deliver the right of every girl, boy, woman and man to a free quality public education.
Since our formation in 1999, millions of people and thousands of organizations in over 100 countries have united to demanding Education for All. Civil society organizations, trade unions, child rights campaigners, teachers, parents and students have joined together to demand universal education.
GCE was a united civil society voice in the World Education Forum in Dakar 2000 and setting the Education for All agenda for 2015. Since this meeting 40 million more children have been able to go to school, and a financing mechanism (Education Fast Track Initiative) has been established to help meet the education goals. Yet the fact remains that quality education for all is still far from reality, and close to a million people right now are being denied their right to an education that would change their lives.
GCE campaigns throughout the year, rallying a joint global cry for education, mobilising pressure from all sectors and holding governments and international institutions to account. Here are some of the sections of our work:
GLOBAL ACTION WEEK
GCE coordinates the Global Action Week on education in April every year. GCE's Action Week is a much anticipated date in the international calendar. Activities to date include - the ‘World's Biggest Lobby' and ‘Send My Friend to School'. In 2008 close to nine million people took part in the World's Biggest Lesson including national leaders and celebrities such as Shakira. Find out more about GCE's Action Week and how you can get involved.
YEAR ROUND CAMPAIGNING
GCE represents civil society on education at key education decision making bodies including the Education Fast Track Initiative Steering Committee, the Education for All UNESCO led Working Group and High Level Group. We also coordinate national campaigns to lobby the annual G8 and World Bank and IMF meetings in demand of long-term good financing for education. Read our calendar of events.
EDUCATION FOR ALL: CLASS OF 2015
In 2008 we helped launch the Education for All: Class of 2015 at the UN high level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals on the 25th September 2008. This class is a unique coming together of governments, faith leaders, corporations, civil society and education advocates who are committed to making sure that the Education for All goals become a reality by 2015. Find out more about the Class of 2015 here.
GLOBAL ADVOCACY
The Global Campaign for Education coordinates policy research on different aspects of the Education for All agenda, what's needed to achieve EFA and rate how national governments are performing. GCE has produced a school report that ranks governments' efforts towards achieving EFA. We are currently carrying out research on quality education as well as international financing institutions.
Education for All (EFA) goals:
- Expand early childhood care and education
- Provide free and compulsory primary Education for All
- Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults
- Increase adult literacy by 50%
- Achieve gender parity by 2005, and gender equality by 2015
- Improve the quality of education
As agreed by over 180 countries at the World Education Forums in 1990 and 2000 in Jometian and Dakar. These goals are set for 2015.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - the two of the eight that focus on education:
- Ensure that all boys and girls complete primary schooling by 2015
- Eliminate gender disparities in primary education by 2005, and at all levels by 2015
As agreed by 191 Heads of State at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000
Read GCE's Principles and Demands
Read GCE's 2009 Annual Report
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