Rights from the Start!

The Global Campaign for Education has wrapped-up another successful Education for All Global Action Week, with activities around the world. The 2012 campaign focussed on the 1st - and arguably the most neglected - EFA goal, early childhood care and education.

To mark the importance of this goal, GCE has released a new video and report on the necessity of ECE. The report notes:

There are 1 billion children aged under eight years old in the world, more than 10% of the world’s population. The neglect of these children’s rights – and the consequent impact on their other rights, their opportunities and their societies – is too devastating to continue.

Download the GCE Report on Rights from the Start.

Where is the World Bank?

CGCE member RESULTS Canada has teamed up with Make Poverty History to demand that Canada hold the World Bank to account for the $750 million promised for basic education.

In 2010, World Bank President Robert Zoellick pledged to increase financing for basic education by $750 million. He rightly said the additional money was needed to assist countries most off-track, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, to achieving MDG2. MDG2 aims to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling by 2015.

Sadly, the World Bank has not yet delivered that $750 million. In addition, the World Bank has recently changed the formula it uses to track its funding, which means that they actually announced a decrease in funding to 2010.

The World Bank Spring Meetings happening April 20-22 provides an opportunity to change that story. Finance Ministers from the Bank’s member countries will be there to discuss the many challenges and opportunities for reaching global development goals. Let’s make sure that funding for basic education is at the top of their agenda.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is Canada’s Governor for the World Bank. He can help open the door for out-of-school children. And so can you!

Please join us in asking Minister Flaherty to insist that the Bank make good on its promise to the 67 million children still out-of-school, and ensure that the World Bank deliver the $750 million promised for basic education.