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| Past Issue - April
2003 News by Country Albania
April 4, 2003 Argentina's national teaching union expects 20,000 students and 5,000 teachers to participate in the Big Lesson. In addition, thousands of signatures will be collected on a petitition to be presented to the national legislature. There will be special TV and radio programmes as well as public events to raise awareness on girls' lack of access to education, the link between poverty and barriers to education and then how this then links to child labour. Finally, after the Action Week, follow-up sessions are planned with teachers to reflect on the issues of the Week. Bangladesh
April 3, 2003 Bangladesh currently boasts the largest number of participants registered for the world record attempt. With some 41,000 children expected to participate, Bangladesh could break the world record all by itself! The Secretary of State for Education and other senior officials will participate in the Big Lesson and the MoE has also written to 85,000 schools across the country, asking them to join the World Record attempt. The Vice-Chancellors of all the universities have added their signatures to an Action Week leaflet. 500 volunteers will be distributing Action Week stickers (in Bangla) in bus and train stations and other public places. April 9, 2003 Bangladesh raises its total to 91,000 participants with this additional news just received from Dhaka Ahsahnia Mission. DAM will hold the World's Biggest Lesson with 50,000 participants in 1200 non-formal learning centres and other venues, featuring eminent local persons. Rallies, discussion meetings, debate competitions, dramatic performances, and cultural functions, and other activities will also take place all over the remote districts of Bangladesh. A special multi coloured poster has been produced with the slogan-'Raise Hands in Favour of Girl's Education' and Orientation Sessions have been organised to make the event really successful. April 10, 2003 Numerically speaking, Bangladesh has emerged as the biggest star of a very big show, with at least 450,000 children and adults across the country taking part, including students in at least 15,000 BRAC schools. NGOs in India also achieved at least double their original target of 100,000 participants and the national education campaign in Brazil reached twice its expectation of 20,000 participants. Brazil April 9, 2003 In Brazil, the most significant events will take place in São Paulo, with a huge open lesson for the youth Hip Hop community; Brasília, with a celebration of the Semana de Ação Global [Global Action Week] at the Câmara Federal [Federal House of Representatives]; and Pernambuco, whose Big Lesson event will include indigenous Xukuru Indian communities. A total of 20,000 are expected to take part in the World's Largest Lesson. At the end of the lesson in Sao Paolo, there will be a performance by Rap songwriter and singer Sharylane, a pioneer of this genre in Brazil who is also an outspoken advocate for women's rights (famous for the lyric 'Don't ever forget that a woman is your mother, oh brother'). The Campanha Nacional pelo Direito à Educação [National Campaign for Education Rights], a coalition, is also using the Action Week to focus public debate on issues of education quality. A survey on quality has been distributed to 500 schools throughout the country. Visit www.campanhaeducacao.org.br for more information. April 10, 2003 Numerically speaking, Bangladesh has emerged as the biggest star of a very big show, with at least 450,000 children and adults across the country taking part, including students in at least 15,000 BRAC schools. NGOs in India also achieved at least double their original target of 100,000 participants and the national education campaign in Brazil reached twice its expectation of 20,000 participants. Cambodia April 15, 2003 In East Asia, more than 100,000 children and teachers joined Oxfam and partners in the World's Biggest Lesson and related events, with excellent media coverage throughout the week. In Kg. Chhanang, Cambodia, after the lesson, girl children from school dormitories marched to Provincial Office of Education for a dialogue with local education officials about girls' education. April 30, 2003 Minister of Education strongly supports World’s Biggest Lesson On March 27, 2003 the Cambodian Minister of Education has thrown his full support to the global week of action for education for all and prepared an authorization letter for the schools to join the “World’s Biggest Lesson”... and... 7,000 people join World’s Biggest Lesson in Cambodia A total of 7,863 people, half of them girl children, took part in the record-breaking World’s Biggest Lesson in different parts of Cambodia. Most of them belong to 160 classes in 14 primary schools. Chile
April 30, 2003 Chilean students attempting to break Guinness record ...this past April 9th at 11:00 h, at the Liceo A-85 and the Karelmapu School at Santiago, Chile, a class was conducted simultaneously aiming at breaking the record of the largest class in the world. To this end, similar experience was synchronized in more than 50 countries over the five continents. In Chile, this activity was organized by the Corporación Opción and included the participation of the Woman National Service Minister-Director, Ms. Cecilia Pérez, and the Minister of Planning and Coperation, Mr. Andrés Palma... Denmark April 3, 2003 The Big Lesson will be publicised on children's TV in Denmark and some 6,000 students will join the World Record attempt, including 2 schools in Greenland. April 4, 2003 New numbers just received from Denmark (27,000 children), the Netherlands (30,000 children) and the U.K. (32,000 children) take the total registered to participate in the World's Biggest Lesson to 248,000 around the world. East Timor April 15, 2003 In East Timor, a National Conference on Education took place during the Action Week. Teachers, students, NGOs, government, religious and cultural institutions, activists, aid agencies joined together for a 3-day meeting to start dialogue on the philosophy of the East Timorese Education System and come up with policy and program proposals on ECCD, teacher training, adult literacy, popular education and basic formal education. Cross-cutting issues include education financing, girls' education, policy reform, marginalized groups, access and quality. El Salvador April 15, 2003 In El Salvador they are hoping to attain 20,000 participants once all forms are in, writes CEDIP. "En El Salvador se esperaba la participación de 20 mil personas. Doscientos Centros Educativos, tres alcaldÌas municipales, dos universidades privadas, numerosos cÌrculos de alfabetización, Instituciones públicas y Organizaciones sociales de diferentes zonas de El Salvador, se unieron durante media hora para asistir a la Mayor Clase del Mundo, con el objetivo de romper el actual record mundial y apoyar la campaña por el acceso universal a una educación básica de calidad. "Con el objetivo de llamar la atención de los diferentes sectores sociales y para que el evento no pasara desapercibido se preparó una actividad sÌmbolo en San Salvador. Dicha clase contó con participación de la vice ministra de Educación, licda. Matilde de Quintana, la representación de Oxfam Solidaridad y otras entidades de cooperación nacional e internacional, direcciones de instituciones, entre otros. "Durante la clase las 28 alumnas y las personas invitadas reflexionaron sobre los niveles de analfabetismo en el mundo y la realidad educativa que viven las niñas y las mujeres en El Salvador. Las muchachas fueron muy participativas y se mostraron sumamente interesadas sobre el poco acceso que tienen las niñas en la educación. Sin duda esta experiencia nos dejo una importante lección a todos y todas las que participamos en 'La Mayor Clase'". Ethiopia April 6, 2003 Ethiopia got an early start on the Action Week with a major conference to present new research on EFA, including the country research report that forms a part of the GCE study, A Fair Chance, and analysis of budgets and spending for EFA. The opening of the workshop was marked by a musical drama along the main streets of Addis highlighting the importance of girls and women education. The Big Lesson will be transmitted live on FM radio and the Federal Ministry of Education has written to all 11 regional education bureaux requesting them to mobilise schools. Cooperation between the national education network (BEN-E), Actionaid, Oxfam and the Ministry has been strong. The Gambia April 9, 2003 In The Gambia, the Education for All Campaign Network are organising the lesson in three venues-one in the Greater Banjul Area and two in the rural regions that is the North Bank and Central River Divisions. FAWE Gambia have also arranged that the lesson be taught in a number of classrooms all over the country. The lesson in the Greater Banjul Area will be taught by an 11 year old girl from a poor family who sells peanuts at the end of the school day to subsidize the family income. She will impress on decision makers, parents, teachers and school administration, government, National Assembly members. NGOs and donors why it is important that girls should be educated. The event will be televised by Gambia's state broadcaster. Germany April 9, 2003 In Germany, 28,000 children have so far been registered to take part in the World's Biggest Lesson and the event has already gotten some profile on German radio. World Record information has been translated into German by Oxfam Germany (available for downloading on www.campaignforeducation.org). Ghana April 10, 2003 Beyond the drama of sheer numbers, there were also some very poignant moments yesterday. In Zimbabwe and Ghana, CAMA opened the Lesson with personal testimonials from articulate young women of the same ages from similar backgrounds - except that some had had the chance to finish their education, while others had been forced to drop out. Their moving stories illustrated better than a dozen lessons the saying of Nelson Mandela: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Guinea April 3, 2003 In Guinea, debates on the value of girls' education will take place in rural villages around the country, and there will be people's theatre performances dramatising the negative consequences of keeping girls out of school. Hungary April 6, 2003 In Hungary, teachers have been mobilised by their union to write letters to the Prime Minister regarding the poor situation of public education in the country. India April 3, 2003 In India, the World's Biggest Lesson will be a part of a programme of lectures, debates, drama, music, etc., on the 9th of April in numerous cities and villages across India, involving some 10,000 children.
April 3, 2003 Girls and women in India will march to parliament or local government offices, to present community petitions or declarations to national leaders, calling for specific actions to achieve the 2005 goal. Women's groups and students groups will be mobilised to carry out a 'gender audit' on the state of girls education and female literacy in India and a call for specific actions and policy recommendations to achieve the 2005 goal. This will highlight the popular demand by civil society for action by the Indian Government on girls and women's education. April 10, 2003 In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, India, children from the government school, together with workers from Sangramitha Service Society (a local NGO) followed up the Lesson by visiting the houses of some of their friends and peers who had been forced to drop out. They discussed with the children's parents what they had just learned in the lesson, speaking of the importance of education for a better future. Nagamani of standard 7 has not been to school for the last month. Her mother is ill and there is no one else to do the domestic work. Nagamani is now occupied with looking after her one-year-old sister, four-year-old brother and her sick mother. She does all the domestic chores like cooking, cleaning, washing, serving and nursing. The children persuaded Nagamani's mother to let her return to school in time for the exams. (Read more at www.netaid.org/campaigns/actionweek/gce_story.pt?article_id=1033&group_id=6198) April 15, 2003 In a fishing village some 100 kms from Mumbai (Bombay), India, noted activist Lalita Ramdas describes how, in the relentless heat of April, the world record attempt set the stage for an exhilirating debate on local and global interconnections and imbalances. The lesson was organised by ASPBAE and PREIT, a local education enrichment trust, in 50 schools of Raigad District. Lalita writes: 'Revas Nauka lies at the extreme tip of the Alibag-Mandwa promontory and consists largely of a fishing and farming population. In comparison to several parts of India especially some of the states of Northern India Maharashtra is relatively gender sensitive in that girls' education has always been seen as important and girls do go to school, with most government schools being co-educational. Having said that one must also add that a typical pattern would be for the girl to study up to class 7 or 8 after which she would stay home, take on work, while waiting to be married. Once married, the chances of her making actual use of her literacy skills, especially in her circumscribed world of agricultural operations, are very limited indeed. 'I was asked to be present during this special global teach-in at this particular school a distance of about 18 kms from where I live. I nearly did not get there because young Dayanand who was to escort me apparently had a near accident when a huge herd of cattle suddenly ran on to the main road and almost knocked him off his motorbike! The resulting traffic jam was almost as effective as any in the crowded city across the harbour! 'This village school actually had five classrooms in a row slung out under a traditional tiled roof - Spartan in its amenities -no mats or benches - children sit cross legged on the floor. We arrived to find that our young teachers' assistant or 'Bal Sakhi' had managed to pack in about 100 kids ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old into one classroom and an overspill on to the verandah outside. 'As per normal practice in schools here, the children began the lesson with a Sanskrit prayer - an invocation to the Goddess of learning, [It is noteworthy that the deity in question, Saraswathi, is female!] which ended with an invocation to peace:' Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi -- May there be Peace, Peace, Peace. 'The para-teacher went through the lesson plan as outlined and the mixed bunch of children enthusiastically yelled out the answers. There was no hesitation in answering the basic questions posed -namely of goals set and promises made to halve illiteracy, and reducing by fifty percent the current levels of illiteracy. 'Million' being a totally alien concept in India we got the kids to identify the total number of adults unable to read or write, as 86.2 crores - or 862 million, after some initial attempts at guessing. 'What followed during the discussion on why so many women / girls were among the numbers who couldn't read or write was quite exciting - a dialogue which I helped the teacher facilitate. To understand why this was different it is also important to understand the normal atmosphere and culture of a 'typical Indian classroom'. The classroom continues to be one where there is a largely one way communication with little or no 'interactive' process between teacher and taught. Here suddenly they were provided an invitation to offer their views and opinions and there was no stopping them. Girls and boys alike were busy putting up their hands offering a variety of reasons why women were the ones most affected. 'These ranged from poverty and therefore priority to education of sons ; domestic responsibilities for the girls which boys don't have to take on; attitudes towards girls where they are not really expected to learn, or even think independently for that matter! 'Going a little beyond the parameters of the actual lesson we did a few additional exercises: in GEOGRAPHY, GENDER AND PEACE EDUCATION. '1. An exercise in identifying how many countries there were in the world. The maximum that they were able to call out was about 35 and several were interspersing Indian cities and states together with countries of the world. We really missed having a map of the world as part of classroom equipment. We are also making a note that even the teachers and our own activists needed supplementary Geography inputs! '2. A great exercise in identifying how boys and girls spent their spare time on their return from school and listing the many small ways in which discrimination works - how boys come home, eat and run out to play and then to do their homework; while their sisters are put to work in the house - fetching water, firewood, cleaning and chopping vegetables, caring for younger siblings and so forth. Also a good discussion followed on whether this was fair to girls - with every one vociferously saying 'no'. The boys present were also asked if they would be willing to share in the housework so that their sisters too could play cricket and spend time on studies too. After some initial hesitation, and looking at each other for moral support they did answer in the affirmative!! '3. Finally, we briefly revisited the prayer for peace that they had recited at the beginning, and they were asked to point out one place in the world where there was War and Violence. Several hands shot up and they all shouted IRAQ. Equally unhesitatingly they said it was not fair that a big and powerful country like the USA was attacking a small country like Iraq and they all had picked up enough from their TV programmes to know that innocent children were being hurt and killed. I shared with the children a pledge for Peace and Justice which is going around on the global email circuits and has been translated into Marathi, the language of this state. Many of them wanted to sign and be part of yet another world wide campaign - the one against War.' Indonesia April 15, 2003 In East Asia, more than 100,000 children and teachers joined Oxfam and partners in the World's Biggest Lesson and related events, with excellent media coverage throughout the week... In Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia there were Girls' Orations and street campaigns. "open space" schools for street children, drawing, story-telling and speech-making competitions and 45,000 Big Lesson participants on one island (Lombok) alone. Indonesia also witnessed the first education civil society stakeholders' dialogue with the Indonesian EFA committee during the Action Week. April 30, 2003 (date posted) Indonesia holds first GO-NGO Forum on Education for All More than a hundred people from civil society organizations around Indonesia gathered together in dialogue with the government about its Education for All plans. In celebration of the Global Campaign for Education’s (GCE) Week of Action (6-13 April), the GO-NGO Forum on EFA was organized as a run up to a continued civil society engagement with the government in the planning of Education for All (EFA). The World Education Forum in 2000 has urged countries to draft their EFA plans to ensure that globally set education goals are achieved. Kenya April 6, 2003 In Kenya the national education coalition, Elimu Yetu (EYC), is putting the emphasis on district level mobilisation with the Big Lesson and public forums and processions taking place in towns across the country as well as in Nairobi's informal settlements. National impact will be achieved through press articles throughout the week, and a supplement in major newspapers. Kenya's new government declared free primary education shortly after taking offices, and civil society organisations met last month to discuss the implementation of this policy. The outcomes of their discussions have provided the advocacy messages for this year's Action Week (known locally as 'elimu week'). EYC is calling for a compulsory education law to be introduced, for government to finalise an EFA action plan and for donors to move away from individual projects towards a basket funding approach. Liberia April 3, 2003 In Liberia, there will be a football tournament to highlight the importance of girls' and women's education, and a national forum where girls and women will chair discussions on issues of concern. April 6, 2003 Despite the frustrations of the war in Liberia, ALPO and other CSOs are working very hard to ensure the execution of programs for the Action Week in Liberia. The Big Lession will be held in 7 different locations around the city of Monrovia. This is due to the security situation in the country as rebels continue attacking on three fronts in Liberia. Local posters have been produced for distribution in schools, hospitals, displaced centers etc. The week will end with a workshop featuring government officials who are expected to influence education in Liberia. Malawi April 3, 2003 In Malawi, FAWE will organise the Big Lesson in literacy classes for women and adolescent girls, with girls as the teachers. In addition, live debates on girls' education will take place on all radio stations and in many rural villages. April 4, 2003 Malawi is once again hosting one of the most impressive Action Weeks anywhere in the world. In addition to the FAWE events highlighted yesterday, partners in the national education coalition (including the teachers' union, Oxfam and Actionaid as well as many local NGOs) have planned a comprehensive prgramme. Both the Minister of Gender (in Lilongwe) and the Minister of Education (in one of the rural districts) will conduct the Big Lesson. The Week will be launched by on national television with a live press conference featuring the Minister of Education, and there will be a live children's press conference on national TV. There will be radio phone-ins and radio documentaries, school visits by prominent women, and awareness raising meetings in all districts. Many other events are planned. Nepal
April 4, 2003 New numbers just received from Denmark (27,000 children), the Netherlands (30,000 children) and the U.K. (32,000 children) take the total registered to participate in the World's Biggest Lesson to 248,000 around the world. Nicaragua April 4, 2003 In Nicaragua, the focus is on education as a basic right for all. Child labour activists, children and community members will be presenting official complaints from non-educated children to local Municipal Councils. They will also distribute materials calling for free education and hold mass meetings with parents. At the same time, positive steps are being taken to help children who are persistently denied their right to education. During the Action Week, non-formal education programmes will be launched in communities where poor and working children have little access to formal schools. Niger April 15, 2003 From Niger, Oxfam's Salina Sanou sends the following report. 'C'est dans une ambiance soutenue par la musique réalisée à l'occasion de la commémoration de la semaine EPT par le Groupe de Rap Nigérien Kay dan Gaskiya, qu'allait se dérouler la Grande leçon du monde du Mercredi 09 avril 2003 dans l'enceinte du Stade Général Seyni Kountché de Niamey. Dès 08 heures du matin, des groupes de jeunes scolaires a pied essaimaient vers le stade en plus des vingt cars de cent places assurant le transport des élèves qui effectuaient des ballets incessants sous les yeux admiratifs des organisateurs et organisatrices meurtris par le report de la cérémonie prévue initialement au Palais des Congrès de Niamey pour des raisons techniques indépendantes de leur volonté. A 9h, les officiels étaient installés ... La presse nationale n'était pas en reste car elle était venue ; elle aussi, pour immortaliser cette évènement historique. A 8h55, pour faire preuve de leur pouvoir volitif de voir un intérÍt particulier accordé à la scolarisation des filles dont le thème est à l'honneur cette année, les élèves et les participants entonnèrent l'hymne nationale « la Nigérienne » qui emplit de fait tout le stade. 'A 9h00, la Présidente du parlement des jeunes pris la parole devant environ deux mille cinq cents personnes pour dispenser en simulant une situation de classe la grande leçon du monde, devant un parterre d'élèves actifs et réceptifs répondant avec engouement aux questions posées par l'animatrice de la leçon, Mademoiselle Halima Hima Moussa. Il est 9h30, La leçon venait de se terminer et un tonnerre d'applaudissements s'éleva du stade, comme pour dire que le Réseau des Organisations du Secteur éducatif du Niger venait de gagner une bataille dans le cadre du plaidoyer qu'il mène dans le domaine de l'éducation. La grande leçon a certes été modeste mais a permis de véhiculer auprès des participants un espoir mais aussi et surtout une vision et une dimension nouvelle de l'éducation. Cette leçon devra se traduire par une volonté sans faille de l'Etat et du Gouvernement du Niger à travers une expression ferme de leur engagement pour tout action touchant l'éducation de qualité pour tous et en particulier la scolarisation des filles. N'est ce pas là une mémorable leçon ? '
April 19, 2003 "The 15 Big Steps of the President of the Republic" Niger is probably the only country in the continent if not in the world where the President of the Republic participated in the Global Week of Action this year. Click on the headline for a narrative of this memorable event. Nigeria April 15, 2003 In Nigeria's Enugu State, children not only debated the causes of girls' exclusion, they agreed on action points to be implemented over the Easter holidays to get more girls into school. ANPPCAN Nigeria in collaboration with the Child Rescue and Survival Project organised the event. Peter Munene writes, 'The turn out in the midst of campaigns for national elections and school holidays, the interest and enthusiasm shown by students and teachers and their reaction to the Lesson humbled us all. 'All the messages in the various presentations, drama, songs, poems, debate, walk in support of education and discussions showed high support and understanding for girls' education. Children looked at various merits of educating girls and also at issues that hinder their education. In the Nigerian context, they looked at household chores, early marriages, preference of boys over girls, teenage pregnancy, large families, child trafficking etc." 'A child was also nominated by the others from the group to read the message by Mr. Kofi A. Annan, UN Secretary-General to all those participating. This message was a major motivation for the children as they fully identified with its content. 'Chanting "Raise Your Hands for Girls Education", the children came up with three main recommendations which they are to implement during the school holidays in support of girls education. These are: 1. To teach children working as domestic workers how to read and write. 2. To form Child Right Clubs in the communities and churches to educate people on the rights of the child. 3. To identify and report those taking away girls from the communities to work in other states or countries.' Pakistan April 9, 2003 In Pakistan, SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child) has mobilised its grassroots level Child Rights Committees, schools, universities, NGOs, and the Girl Guides to participate in the World's Largest Lesson. They are expecting more than 40,000 participants but if all targets are met, this number could go as high as 65,000! Action Week materials are being distributed in Urdu, and more than 200 banners on girls' education will be displayed in town and cities across Punjab and Northwest Frontier Province. Peru April 15, 2003 In Peru the lesson organised by Global March affiliate CESIP was a great success and the Minister of Education took one of the classes with much media interest. CESIP writes: 'La realización de la Mayor Clase del Mundo por la Educación de las Niñas ha sido todo un éxito en el Perú. Acabamos de regresar de la Escuela Pública "José Andrés Rázuri", ubicado en una zona populosa de Lima, donde el Ministro de Educación Gerardo Ayzanoa dió la clase a un grupo de 32 niñas y niños. Estuvieron muchos medios de comunicación.' The Philippines April 15, 2003 In the Philippines, E-Net followed the world record attempt with a two-day forum on EFA which concluded with the presentation of action points and recommendations to the ministry. April 30, 2003 (date posted) Micko missed the Big Lesson Micko, 7, lived in a shanty on top of a mountain of garbage in Payatas District, Quezon City. He was one of the students of Teacher Andrea at a day-care center and was part of the Payatas delegation to the World's Biggest Lesson. He never made it... Romania
April 4, 2003 In Romania, 10,000 children are expected to participate in the Big Lesson. Meetings will be organised with teachers and local decision makers to draw attention to the importance of primary education in a child's development and the need of involvement of all key decision-makers in preventing child labour and child sexual exploitation. April 15, 2003 Romania expected 10,000 children to take part in the Big Lesson but on the day they had four times as many, writes Save the Children Romania, who organised the event in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research. 'Not only the numbers of the participants, but also some of the pictures (see photo gallery on GCE website) showed us that Romanian children "stand up" for girls education,' said Iona Grigorescu. Senegal April 4, 2003
Although a small country of only 9 million people, Senegal aims to break the world record all by itself - with the Big Lesson being taught to the upper years of ALL the primary schools in the country! The Big Lesson will also be taught in a special event featuring the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education and many prominent women. And 250 working children from 30 African countries - shoe-shiners, domestic servants, apprentices and others - who are attending a meeting of self-employed youth in Dakar next week, will take a break from their conference proceedings to join in the world record attempt at 2 p.m. The Senegal Action Week marks the start of what we hope will be a very fruitful campaign alliance between the Global Movement for Children and the GCE. Members of both networks, together with UNICEF and UNESCO, have worked together intensively to plan this massive effort. Sierra Leone April 4, 2003 Parliamentarians in Sierra Leone -124 in all- have been informed and sensitised on the Global Campaign for Education and the need as legislators to participate in the World Record Attempt. The Big Lesson, endorsed by the Speaker of Parliament, will be delivered in Parliament by the Chairperson of the Basic Education Committee, the Hon. Dr. Bernadette Lahai. April 9, 2003 The president of Sierra Leone, his excellency Alhagi Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbahis will give the World's Biggest Lesson tomorrow at the National Stadium, following a march to the stadium through the streets of Freetown. The week also features a statement of support from the minister of education (which marked the launch of the week on the 6th), daily radio and TV coverage of issues related to girls' education, and two national thanksgiving services on the same theme (one Muslim and one Christian). South Africa April 9, 2003 Nobel-Prize winning author Nadine Gordimer will be one of the celebrities presenting the Big Lesson in South Africa tomorrow. Others taking part include Willy Madisha (president of national trade union federation COSATU), and authors Gcina Mhlope and Es'kia Mphahlele. About 200 South African schools will join in the world record attempt, and some of the students will be linked live to schoolkids in the Netherlands via video conference. GCE-SA kicked off the week yesterday with a conference giving girls the opportunity to speak for themselves about the challenges they experience. The Action Week will also help to focus attention on the review of school fees and education financing recently released by the government. GCE-SA continues to campaign for an end to fees. Visit www.sadtu.org.za for more information. Sudan April 9, 2003 In Sudan, there will be a rally and demonstration in Khartoum tomorrow and midway through the demonstration, the Big Lesson will be taught to over 2000 people in three different places. Other events, jointly organised by Oxfam and the Ministry of Education, include a seminar on Education for All, culture days in schools, and press interviews. United Kingdom April 3, 2003 Nearly 15,000 schoolchildren in the UK have been pre-registered to take part in the Big Lesson, and there will be a major event at Wembley Hall in London. April 4, 2003 New numbers just received from Denmark (27,000 children), the Netherlands (30,000 children) and the U.K. (32,000 children) take the total registered to participate in the World's Biggest Lesson to 248,000 around the world. April 9, 2003 In the UK, 60,000 children have been pre-registered for the World's Biggest Lesson. Schools minister David Miliband will teach the lesson at an east London comprehensive this morning. At Wembley Hall this afternoon, some 2500 schoolchildren will gather to be taught the lesson and hear 'girl power' music acts. The lesson will be presented by TV personalities including soap opera star Michelle Collins. Yesterday, the GCE report on girls' education, A Fair Chance, was launched at a seminar in the House of Commons with the director of Oxfam and the Deputy General Secretary of the TUC as speakers. April 9, 2003 Ms Dynamite declares: 'Hands Up for Girls' Education!' Transcript of the video message from Ms Dynamite in support of the Biggest Ever Lesson and the Global Campaign for Education... full story > April 8th/9th, 2003 A story about activities which took place in Cambridgeshire, UK, last week, highlighting a particular village school lesson about girls' education. It was an enjoyable and informative experience for all the children involved. The story includes a photo of the lesson... full story > United Nations April 9, 2003
Meanwhile, at the UN Headquarters in New York, Nane Annan, lawyer, artist, children's author and wife of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and singer Angelique Kidjo, a UNICEF Special Representative, will team up on 9 April to bring together hundreds of UN staff and school children to help break the world record. With Angelique Kidjo as 'teacher', the 'class' will learn about the urgency to enrol girls as well as boys in school. [See photo gallery for some great pictures and more info from a UNESCO News Release!] April 15, 2003 Annan, Bellamy join New York schoolkids in the Big Lesson Unicef's Ziad Sheik writes: 'The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, welcomed some 350 school children from the New York City area to UN Headquarters on 9 April, in a special event organized by UNICEF and the US Fund for UNICEF as part of the Global Week of Action for Girls' Education. UNICEF's Executive Director Carol Bellamy , striding up and down the aisles with microphone in hand, moving from eager student to eager student, transformed a packed, formal UN conference room into a buzz of challenging questions and answers about the facts of girls' education in countries around the world. 'In his welcome to the house of the people, the Secretary-General reinforced the main message of the day: that to ensure health, peace and equality, the classrooms of the world have to be full of girls as well as boys. His remarks were expanded throughout the morning by a team of teachers including Mrs. Nane Annan who spoke about her personal experiences meeting young girls from around the world and appealed to the children to stay involved with the issues of children's rights and girls' education, UNICEF Special Representative Angelique Kidjo who officially led the lesson part of the morning, and Carol Bellamy who returned to the stage at the end to lead the group in a pledge of Go, Girls !!! Education for every child. 'Somewhat cautiously at first, but quickly picking up their confidence, the students expressed their opinions on a range of issues including the nature of human rights, the importance of a good education, and why girls are sometimes treated differently to boys. Many of their questions focussed on what can be done to get more girls into school. 'The day was part of UNICEF's broader initiative to get as many girls as boys into school in 25 priority countries around the world by 2005: the "25 by 2005 Girls' Education Campaign" (www.unicef.org/noteworthy/girlseducation/index.html). United States of America
April 9, 2003 In the USA, international soccer star Mia Hamm will join with her teammates from the DC pro team the Washington Freedom to kick off the Big Lesson at the Benjamin Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC. Mia Hamm led Team USA to victory at the Women's World Cup in 1999. Across the USA, from Florida to Maine, thousands of children will participate in the Big Lesson. In some cases it's the kids that will do the teaching. In a clear sign of girl power, female students at Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts will turn the table on their instructors and run the Big Lesson. Uruguay
April 15, 2003 In Uruguay, REPEM mobilised rural women leaders, journalists, and political activists to organise the lesson throughout the country. In the capital city of Montevideo, "joy, emotion and shared responsibility" characterised the session led by Alejandra Scampini. 'The interest of everyone present was demonstrated by the concentration and silence, thinking, evaluating the information, and many, many hands up to question, give opinions and tell their experiences. 'This lesson was full of joy because we were able to reflect upon, and above all, to listen to the new generations that exchange opinions and question gender discrimination, while trying to explain the causes in a mature way, with ingenuousness and conviction. 'It meant a great emotion for us all to know that we will be protagonists of a global action to remind the governments that there is a signed agreement to be fulfilled by 2005: everyone has the right to education. " And only the sixth grades have to break the record?" "How are we going to do it?" says a girl at the back end of the room. NO, fortunately, in many parts of the world there are many persons speaking on the same subject that we are, at the same time, and in Uruguay not only in Montevideo, the capital city, but also in other provinces of the country. 'The faces light up and enthusiasm grows: we can make it!!!! ' "And to whom must we send the fax with our signatures?" "And where is the organization responsible for this?" "And when are we going to know whether we broke the record?" ' ' Shared responsibility, because inequities in our country and in the world are very large, and all of us must work to change this. 'The teacher asked them: "According to you, which are the possible reasons for the fact that so many girls in the world do not attend school?" ' 'The girls and boys speak up: ' "...because some persons believe that " girls don't need to learn" ' " girls have to take care of the house, they have to clean and can't work" ' "girls don't have the same rights as boys" ' "some men think that they're more important than women" ' "men don't just think they're more important, but some persons can't buy the materials for school" ' "&my parents told me that in other countries parents have to save money all their lives so that their kids can go to the university" ' 'The teachers explained that in Uruguay primary, secondary and tertiary education is free for everyone, but that this is not so in other parts of the world, people have to pay in order to go to school. ' "the road to school can also be dangerous, or maybe sometimes it's difficult to get there" ' " Yes, I know of someone who..." and stories began to be told. Because here things also happen, not only in other parts of the world!! ' "There are girls that are mothers at the age of 12 and can't keep on studying because they have to look after their children, plus it's not well seen that they go to school during their pregnancy, and people say things to them." ' "Yes, that's true, my sister's friends in highschool help a group of pregnant teens that are alone" ' "And why are they pregnant if they're so young?" This generates a huge concern, this is about their group of peers. ' And the reply comes: "Well, maybe it's because we don't have information about our own sexuality and about the methods to avoid pregnancy." ' And why is it so important to learn? says Alejandra ' "Because if you don't know how to read and write you can't do many things" ' "to understand things" ' "because if you've got education it's easier to get a job" ' "not only read and write, because if you don't know how to do calculations you can't even go shopping" ' "to live better and not be poor" ' "also to know it's important that your boys and girls study" ' "Also for making friends" "Yeah! And sometimes it's fun" ' Vietnam April 3, 2003 In Vietnam, a group of street and working children from informal education programmes have been planning Action Week activities, including peer workshops for other street and working children and a campaign T-shirt designed by kids. Children in informal education centres across Hanoi will be asked to contribute pictures and to write about girls' education - all contributions will be presented during a public forum on 9th April. April 15, 2003 In Vietnam there were another 45,000 participants and the lesson was broadcast live on Voice of Vietnam radio. April 30, 2003 (date posted) Vietnam – 40+ thousand in schools join “World’s Biggest Lesson” while broadcast and telecast media echo lesson on Girls’ Education The morning started with the Voice of Vietnam broadcasting all the events that are happening on that day. Girls’ education is the lesson for the day. And children and adults are set to join in the “World’s Biggest Lesson” in three provinces. Zimbabwe April 10, 2003 Beyond the drama of sheer numbers, there were also some very poignant moments yesterday. In Zimbabwe and Ghana, CAMA opened the Lesson with personal testimonials from articulate young women of the same ages from similar backgrounds - except that some had had the chance to finish their education, while others had been forced to drop out. Their moving stories illustrated better than a dozen lessons the saying of Nelson Mandela: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." |
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