Civil G8 2006

Civil G8 — is your opportunity
to discuss global problems!

earth

News

14m Teachers Needes to Meet Global Education Goal

01.01.70

A coalition of leading charities has estimated at least 14 million extra teachers will be needed if a new global campaign is to meet its target of achieving education for every child in the developing world by 2015, it emerged today.

New research by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) revealed the pledge made at last year's G8 summit to provide a basic education for all children by 2015 will remain a "dream" unless vast numbers of teachers are hired and trained soon.

More than 100 million children still do not receive an education, and vital milestones are being missed, including getting equal numbers of boys and girls into primary school.

The campaign, which has been organised by a coalition of charities including ActionAid, Oxfam and Save the Children, is calling for action to solve a global teacher crisis.

It is urging G8 countries to close the funding gap for global primary education, estimated to be over £5 billion per year, so poor countries can start hiring teachers.

Britain has already pledged £8.5 billion which will be paid over 10 years and will go towards a global target of £55.6 billion to get 100 million children in schools.

The report, entitled Teachers For All, was written by Stephen Nock, an education advocacy officer at international volunteering charity VSO.

Mr Nock said: "The goal to achieve universal primary education by 2015 is unrealistic at the moment.

"The world has to wake up to the fact that more investment must be made in teacher recruitment, training and, vitally, retention if we are to get all the world's children a good quality primary education.

"Gordon Brown's announcement of the UK contribution earlier this month is a good start, but it's only for primary education.

"In order to produce enough quality teachers, rich countries also need to invest in secondary education. Otherwise, the only lesson children will be learning is how to survive a life condemned to poverty."

Schools across the country have launched a nationwide classroom campaign to ensure that every child has a teacher and can learn in a class of less than 40.

For the "My Friend Needs a Teacher" campaign this week children will be lobbying politicians to hold the Government to its education pledges. For more information about the campaign visit www.sendmyfriend.org

The GCE brings together major NGOs and teachers' unions in over 150 countries around the world. It promotes education as a basic human right and mobilises public pressure on governments and the international community to fulfil their promises to provide free, compulsory basic education for everyone.

UK member organisations of the Global Campaign for Education include ActionAid, ATL, Book Aid International, Comic Relief, EIS, NASUWT, NUT, Oxfam, Plan, Save the Children, Sight Savers International, SSTA, UTU and VSO.

Expert opinion

Halter Marek

02.12.06

Halter Marek
Le College de France
Olivier Giscard d’Estaing

02.12.06

Olivier Giscard d’Estaing
COPAM, France
Mika Ohbayashi

02.12.06

Mika Ohbayashi
Institute for Sustainable Energy Poliñy
Bill Pace

02.12.06

Bill Pace
World Federalist Movement - Institute for Global Policy
Peter I. Hajnal

01.12.06

Peter I. Hajnal
Toronto University, G8 Research Group


Contact us |  De | Rus |