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Young campaigners at the Global Campaign for Education event in 20008 © Suzanne Porter / Sightsavers

Young campaigners at the Global Campaign for Education event in 20008 © Suzanne Porter / Sightsavers

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Children missing out on an education

This year’s Send My Friend campaign 2009, invites all school children to join together with other young campaigners around the world to continue to continue highlight the fact that so many children are missing out on school.

The main campaigning action is called the Big Read, organised by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). Nelson Mandela was one of last year’s high profile supporters, having submitted an excerpt from a speech to the campaign.

The Big Read will take place on 22 April, and pupils will be invited to write their own stories, speeches and poems, and then read them out at a school-wide read & write-athon to an audience of MPs, teachers, parents and journalists. The event will take place in over 100 countries, to highlight the importance of literacy, and how the ability to read and write opens doors for all children.

When world leaders set the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, they promised that every child in the world would complete a quality education by 2015. At the current rate of progress this target will not be met, with over 70 million children around the world who are still not in school.

Last year 8.8 million children in over 100 countries took part in a record breaking ‘World’s Biggest Lesson’ – let’s hope this year’s event is an even bigger success!

For more information www.sendmyfriend.org.