Global campaign for education comes to Alexandra Park Junior School

Pupils at Alexandra Park Junior School are asking the rich countries to “Send my Friend to School” as part of the Global Campaign for Education, and Stockport MP Ann Coffey is visiting the school on Friday to show her support.

This week over 120 nine, ten and eleven year olds at Alexandra Park will be joining the “World’s Biggest Lesson” with children from all around the world to learn simultaneously about the importance of being able to get an education.

Despite an increase in global enrolment in primary education of over 41 million children between 1999 and 2005, there are still some 72 million primary children around the world who do not go to school. This lack of basic education means that children in the developing world don’t get any of the chances in life which Stockport children take for granted.

This year the campaign is asking pupils in the UK to show what they would have missed out on if they didn’t have the chance to go to school.  Children at Alexandra Park are completing colourful “Missing Out” cards to give to their MP, who will pass them to the Prime Minister. Over the next decade the UK will spend £8.5 billion to help poorer countries realise the Millenium Goal of education for all.

Ann Coffey said:

“I think the right to education is one of the greatest gifts you can make to the world’s children.  Pupils in Stockport realise what opportunities they would miss if they just couldn’t go to school – it’s all the life chances we take for granted – to go to university, to become an apprentice, to get a good job of any sort and to help your community -  you need to go to school first. I’m very pleased that Alexandra Park pupils are joining the campaign to ensure all children can go to school, wherever they are”

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Ann Coffey will meet the pupils and receive their Missing Out cards at Alexandra Park Junior School, Bombay Road, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9RF on Friday 25th April at 1.30pm

More details about  this year’s global education event can be found at www.sendmyfriend.org