Robert Key MP Goes Back to School

Students at The Godolphin School, Wilton Church of England First School and Odstock County Primary School will welcome a classmate with a difference into lessons on Friday 23rd April 2004. Local MP, Robert Key will go ‘back to school’ to discuss with the students why 100 million children worldwide miss out on an education.

More than 1,000 schools throughout the length and breadth of Britain are participating in MPs’ Back to School Day, part of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) Week of Action. Around the world millions of children in 100 countries are joining in the lobbying effort.

Without an education millions of children face a life of poverty. Bibit in Jakarta, Indonesia, can’t go to school. Instead she begs for money to support her family. “If I see other children going to school, I think they are clever and I’m not. I really want to go,” she said. Unfortunately Bibit’s parents cannot afford the school fees and her country cannot afford to provide free education for all.

Robert Key MP said: “Education is the key to life, health, dignity and prosperity. Education not only defeats ignorance – it overcomes the prejudice and fear that leads to economic and political instability and war. Ideas come free – but using them needs education and that costs money. That is why I support the Global Campaign for Education Week of Action.”

The amount needed to address the educational shortfall is not excessive in 21st century terms. Just more than £3 billion a year would get every child into school; less than a week’s global military spending.

MPs’ Back to School Day builds on the success of last year’s GCE Week of Action when more than two million young people in more than 70 countries broke the world record for the biggest ever lesson.

The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a coalition of charities, teachers’ unions and citizens’ groups from around the world dedicated to making the human right to a basic education a reality for all children.