Everything you need to know about JOIN UP - Education Rights Now!

What is the Global Campaign for Education (GCE)?
GCE is made up of people from all over the world, of all ages who have come together to remind the world leaders of their promises to get every child into school. GCE will not stop campaigning until everyone has an education.

What is JOIN UP - Education Rights Now?
JOIN UP! - Education Rights Now! Is the name of the 2007 campaign, asking all campaigners, and leaders to act together to make sure that every child and adult gets an education. You can learn more about what a campaign is by reading the What? Guide.

What is the problem?
As you read this, there are 80 million children and almost a billion adults who miss out on an education. Some children can't go to school because they have to work, just to buy food to survive. Others can't get to school because it's too far away. Having a disability can also stop children from going to school. In some countries the government doesn't provide any schools at all. In other countries there aren't enough school buildings, books or even teachers.

What are governments doing about it?
Seven years ago, world leaders made a promise that all children would go to primary school by 2015. They have done some work to make this happen, but things are moving too slowly to meet the target.

What can we do?
You can remind national and world leaders of their promise, by sending them a message. It's important that you take part, so that your national leaders and the world leaders know there are millions of you who want every child to go to school. If all the children around the world join togeSther, they have a very strong voice.

To send the message, you need to JOIN UP! with your friends and make a chain. You can make and decorate a paper chain, or take a photograph of yourself holding hands and joining up with friends, or think of any other creative ways of showing a chain. Once you have made the chain, you need to write your message about why you think school is important. Then you need to make sure the chain gets to political leaders. You can find all the instructions for making the chain and sending it here: Join the Chain.

What else can we do?
You can do lots of other things as well as making and sending your chain:

1. Learn more about the JOIN UP! campaign by looking through this website and the GCE website.
2. Tell your teacher about JOIN UP! and get your whole class involved.
3. Ask your teacher to Invite Your MP or education official into school or education centre to talk about children and adults who miss out on getting the right to an education.
4. Add yourself to the online chain.
   
5. Add yourself to the online chain.