MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
McMullan
Today students in five states took part in a world-record breaking lesson for 15 million children worldwide.
The Lesson for All is part of 1GOAL – Education for All, the FIFA-backed global campaign, coinciding with the football World Cup, which aims to give every child the chance to go to school.
"In the Lesson for All students learnt about how education opens up opportunities, provides pathways out of poverty and can be life changing for individuals, families and societies," said Mr McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance.
In Melbourne, Socceroo and new Melbourne Heart player John Aloisi participated in the Lesson for All with students from Essendon Keilor College. In Sydney students at Granville South High School took the Lesson for All with Mr Laurie Ferguson, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, and sports presenter Stephanie Brantz.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, together with world leaders in the United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa, Socceroo Tim Cahill and celebrities from around the world have signed up to 1GOAL.
"There are now 44 million fewer primary school age children out of school than in 1999. But with 72 million children around the world still missing out on their right to an education, we need to do more.
"The Australian Government has made education a flagship of Australia's aid program and is increasing support to education to help meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015," Mr McMullan said.
The Australian aid program has achieved impressive results, for example: helping build more than 2000 schools in Indonesia which provide places for more than 300,000 children; constructing 104 school buildings in Papua New Guinea with another 135 to be built in 2010; and improving learning environments for girls in Laos by providing clean water and sanitation systems in 257 schools.
Australians can get behind 1GOAL, by registering support on the 1GOAL website www.join1goal.org.au