1GOAL: Education for All
Australian Government Minister for Youth and Sport, the Hon Kate Ellis MP,
joined soccer stars Socceroo Vincenzo Grella, Matilda Sarah Walsh and a coalition of non-governmental organisations to launch the 1GOAL: Education for All campaign in Australia.
World leaders, including Australia’s Prime Minister the Hon Kevin Rudd MP, United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon will joined each other via video-link to pledge their support for the campaign.
1GOAL has one purpose: to ensure that people of all ages around the world and especially the 75 million children out of school – half of them in Africa and nearly two-thirds girls – get access to quality education, classrooms, teachers and the future that education provides.
1GOAL was launched in Australia by a coalition of non-governmental organisations led by ActionAid Australia, ASPBAE Australia (Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education) and Football Federation Australia.
“Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty for families, communities and whole countries, leading to economic growth, democracy and a more stable future, said ActionAid CEO Mr Archie Law.
“Today more than 900 million adults are unable to read or write, but it doesn’t need to be this way.
“Since 2000, because governments and people took action, 40 million more children are in school. We have a plan, we know how to beat this – all we need now is the will to make it happen.
“If we come together around this World Cup, we can do even more and reach our goal.”
1GOAL is the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first world cup to be held in Africa, and calls on football fans and the public to sign-up at www.join1goal.org and tell world leaders that education beats poverty.
The leaders are calling on football fans and education campaigners to make education the legacy of the FIFA World Cup 2010 and have agreed to meet on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in Africa for a summit on education.
Bernie Lovegrove, Executive Director of ASPBAE Australia called on the government to ensure its overseas aid to education contributes to achieving all six international Education For All goals. “We are pleased that the Rudd government has scaled up education aid, but at the same time we urge the government to ensure that funding covers education from early childhood through to adult and lifelong learning, rather than trading one education goal off against another.”
He further called on the Australian Government to pay its fair share of the education financing gap: “The financing gap for primary and lower-secondary education is estimated at US$16 billion per year and Australia still has quite a way to go to pay its fair share. In this time of financial crisis governments must not retreat from their commitments to aid for education.”
Football Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley said he was delighted to support the 1GOAL initiative and encourages everyone to show their support.
"Education is an important policy objective in any society to ensure that people have the best possible opportunity to reach their potential and to realise better economic, health and social outcomes,” Mr Buckley said.
Sports star Socceroo Vincenzo Grella said the Qantas Socceroos were honored to support this worldwide movement to promote education for all and that he urges all football fans to visit the 1GOAL website to show their support.
Sarah Walsh of the Matildas called on all Australians to support the initiative. “The Westfield Matildas are proud to be part of the 1GOAL initiative and ask all world leaders and all Australians to support education for girls and boys.”
To pledge support to 1GOAL: Education for All, log onto join1goal.org
BACKGROUND
About ActionAid Australia
ActionAid Australia is part of an international anti-poverty network working in over 40 countries, taking sides with poor people to end poverty and injustice together. Education is one of ActionAid’s priority areas of work. Further information about ActionAid can be found at actionaid.org.au/
About ASPBAE
ASPBAE Australia is part of a broader regional network, the Asia South Pacific Association of Basic and Adult Education, of over 240 member organisations in 30 countries around the Asia Pacific region. ASPBAE Australia works with education coalitions in many countries in the region to achieve the six EFA goals. aspbae.org
About 1GOAL: Education for All
1GOAL is a new campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to ensure that every child worldwide has the opportunity of an education. Global football stars, the football world and FIFA are behind 1GOAL – this World Cup, we’re asking fans to sign up to give 75 million children a chance in life. Together, name by name, we can make a difference and call on world leaders to ensure education for all.
1GOAL is a part of the Class of 2015 initiative, led by the Global Campaign for Education and includes support from key charities, teaching unions, faith groups, private sector and committed governments.
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