During the Global Campaign for Education’s Action Week, New York teacher Emily Bishop will be taking part in “the World’s Biggest Lesson” by teaching her students about the barriers that young people face all over the world in accessing a quality education.The Global Campaign for Education hopes to set a Guinness Book of World Record for the most people teaching the same lesson simultaneously. Below, her post and a video about the action.
I’m very lucky to teach in an after-school program, Wild Blue, where kids are taking advantage of learning opportunities beyond their everyday classroom lessons. I am challenged and inspired by my young charges, who want to know about everything from Shakespeare to cryptozoology (the study of mythological animals). As I prepare to teach “the World’s Biggest Lesson,” about the global commitment to achieve Education for All by 2015, and the gaping inequalities that still remain, I am also struck by how lucky the children I teach really are (however much they might complain about their math homework). As we get settled into our weekly sessions I hear stories of field trips to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, of classroom parties held for the publication of student-edited picture books, of basketball tournaments and class pets. Two of the girls from my “Myths and Legends from Around the World†class traveled together to the Arctic last spring, on a Wild Blue expedition, and spent time in an Inuit school. I think it would be tremendous if more kids had opportunities for life-changing experiences like that – but really, what could possibly be more life-changing (and world-changing!) than quality education for the 72 million children still missing out on school? I’m so excited to share that idea with the kids I work with, give them the chance to help break a world record, and help them add their voices to the Global Campaign for Education’s call for quality education for all.
You can help break the world record by registering your participation in the World’s Biggest Lesson now – www.campaignforeducationusa.org.
-Emily Bishop, Teacher and Activities Coordinator, Wild Blue, New York
Perhaps the reason that quality education for tens of millions of poor children in the developing world remains a silent crisis is that there is never that specific moment when a CNN camera captures a child dying from lack of education. Yet make no mistake about it, children die every day from a lack of education. We know that in Africa even 5 years of education for a future mother increases the chance of her children reaching the age of five by 50 percent. Â We know that a 16-year old girl who goes to school has a three to six times less chance of contracting HIV/AIDS than a girl who has never gone to school.
And yet, what inspires us is not that education is life-saving, but that it is life-enhancing.  A quality basic education is the foundation for all of the development issues that we care about.  It is the foundation for healthier families, higher wages, and better democracy. It is essential for helping the most vulnerable children – including those with disabilities, living in refugee camps, orphans, child laborers, and children affected by HIV/AIDS – along a path to a brighter future. Education is a human right, and all children, no matter where they are born, deserve a chance to receive a quality education. Currently over 72 million children and 226 million young people globally will be denied an education. This year we invite you to join millions of young people worldwide who will be participating in a truly global effort to raise awareness of the importance of a free quality education for all. The ONE Campaign is joining forces with the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to help shed light on this important issue and your participation can have a dramatic impact. More than 120 national GCE chapters around the world will organize events to raise awareness about this issue, encourage young people to get involved, and coordinate powerful actions and requests of world leaders.
Go to www.campaignforeducationusa.org to find out how you can get involved. You can also join our Facebook and MySpace groups to keep up to date on all Education Action Week activities.
Together we can make a difference. Thank you for all that you do!
Sincerely,
-Gene Sperling, US Chair, Global Campaign for Education & Director, Center for Universal Education, Council on Foreign Relations
A Reuter’s article today highlights the devastating toll of AIDS in Mozambique – and the interconnected nature of disease, education and economic development.
“More than one-sixth of Mozambique’s 9,000 teachers are dying of HIV/AIDS each year, lowering the quality of education and jeopardising future development, a government official told Reuters on Tuesday…
Health officials say more than 16 percent of the 20 million Mozambicans between the ages of 14 and 49 — generally the most economically productive — are infected with HIV, and an estimated 500 new infections occur each day.
“This is a crucial issue for us and we are trying to train more teachers for them to be able to deal with it (the pandemic) in the communities. Teachers play a major role in the economic development of this country”, he said.
Despite its limited skilled labour force, Mozambique’s economy has boomed in recent years, spurred by a rise in foreign investment and development aid, and GDP growth is projected to hit 8 percent this year after reaching 7.5 percent in 2007.
Aly said the devastating effect of HIV/AIDS on the country’s human resources threatened to damage its economic prospects.”
Great report back from Ross of SetonHall University of ONE students and members lobbying Senator Robert Menendez last Monday.
“Last week the luck of the Irish was with the ONE Campaign. New Jersey members of ONE and our partner organization CARE met with Senator Robert Menendez to discuss his support for several anti-poverty bills going through Congress. For my part in the meeting I thanked the senator for co-sponsoring and voting for the Biden/Lugar amendment to the FY09 international affairs budget which, as many of you might know, restored $4.1 billion dollars…”
Compassion has flooded the hallways of Libertyville High School in Illinois. I and my fellow students are taking action for the fight against disease and poverty and today, on March 19, our school will become the first official “ONE High School” at the same time Libertyville becomes an official “ONE City.”
Next month, we’re organizing a massive community benefit concert that will take place on April 18, 2008 at the high school’s field house. Just like the roots of the ONE Campaign, this started as just a few students’ idea and has grown into a movement.
What inspires me the most is how quick more students are to join. Our group continues to grow and we’ve already signed up more than 580 new members in just two days of tabling. Between our school and town, the Libertyville community is truly taking on to the idea that we all can come together as ONE community to change the world.
-Ryan Steel, ONE member and LHS senior, Libertyville, IL
Last week, “UNH for ONE” set up tables at the University of New Hampshire and asked their fellow students to sign letters to NH Senator Judd Gregg, asking him for a robust international affairs budget. They collected over 50 letters that I will deliver to Senator Gregg’s Office later today.
“UNH for ONE” is now phone banking on campus to thank NH Senator Sununu for signing onto the “Smith-Feinstein Amendment” and calling Senator Gregg’s Office to ask that he support the amendment that would restore over 2.6 billion dollars to the international affairs budget.
Some of you may remember the posts earlier this year describing the work of teacher Matt Cone at Rock Bridge High School. Well, Matt continues to do amazing work with his students and this week the seniors in his Contemporary Issues class had the unique experience of talking with the First Lady via video conference.
Many of the questions posed dealt with the President and Mrs. Bush’s recent trip to Africa, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the work that ONE and other NGOs are doing to help the world’s poor. As if talking to the First Lady was not cool enough, the students wore ONE shirts to emphasize their commitment to ending global poverty and disease.
Check out some of the student comments about the experience after the jump.
-Katie Andrews, Field Organizer (KS, OH, MI, MO, WV)
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