Third world schools

The chancellor has pledged £8.5bn towards providing free education for children in the world's poorest countries.

Gordon Brown was on Monday visiting Mozambique where he was backing a drive to meet the millennium development goal of offering every child a school place by 2015.

Britain's contribution to the programme will be paid over 10 years, but the long term commitment means the Department for International Development is set to emerge as one of the few significant winners from the next comprehensive spending review.

In total £55.6bn is thought to be needed to get 100 million children into schools. 

 

Stakeholder Response: Rotary International

 

 

 

A spokesperson for Rotary International told ePolitix.com: "Rotary International is delighted to learn of the UK government's initiative to help the world's poorest children to receive a free education.

 

"Rotary continues to emphasise the benefits of literacy projects and its 1.2 million members in 31,000 clubs worldwide believe that teaching reading and writing skills is the best way to help people out of poverty which is the root cause of so much disease, pollution and crime.

 

"As the most widespread service organisation in the world, Rotary would be very willing to liaise with the UK government in seeking out suitable literacy projects and to assist in carrying them out.

 

"UNESCO reports that approximately one-quarter of the world's population is functionally illiterate.

 

"With our collective expertise and resources, we could make a significant difference in combating the scourge of illiteracy.

 

"Promoting literacy is essential to addressing the larger issues of health, hunger, and poverty.

 

"More than 900 million people cannot read or write in any language, and two-thirds of them are women.

 

"The benefits of literacy translate into better paying jobs, better educated parents, and lower dropout rates for schoolchildren."

 

Stakeholder Response: World Vision

 

 

A spokesman said: "World Vision welcomes chancellor Gordon Brown’s announcement of bn (£8.5bn) in overseas aid for education in Africa and Asia.

 

"The UK's 10-year funding plan is the part of the pledge by the world's richest nations to help every African child have access to a primary school by 2015.

 

"However to achieve universal access to education for all, disabled children must be prioritised in education strategies.

 

"Only two per cent of disabled children in the developing world go to school.

 

"Disability is one of the barriers to education and is often more of a barrier than either gender or geography with disabled children making up a third of the 115 million children without access to education.

 

"Such shocking exclusion must be addressed in any commitment made to education.

 

"World Vision is calling for the mainstreaming of disabled children in education.    

 

"The UK government must follow through its financial commitment by making disabled children a priority in developing countries’ education strategies, truly achieving education for all."

 

 

Stakeholder Response: ATL

 

 

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "We need to put pressure on governments to ensure that all children go to school and are taught by a well qualified and trained teacher in a manageable size class.

 

"The Association of Teachers and Lecturers is part of the Global Campaign for Education, a national coalition of NGOs and teachers unions, which are highlighting the fact that over 15 million new teachers are needed to attain universal education for the world's children.

 

"Teachers and children throughout the world will be able to get involved by making thousands of cut out 'teachers' to represent a real teacher needed by a child who is missing out on an education.

 

"Children will be encouraged to put pressure on world leaders to deliver their promise for education for all by 2015 - www.sendmyfriend.org."