Education Target: Ensure that all girls and boys complete a full course of primary schooling
Salim (11 yrs old) stands at the front of the classroom next to his classmate Nadia as she writes down his answers to the teachers questions. This school has taken part in an integrated education programme for children with disabilities supported by CBM since 1989.
We’re now halfway through the time set to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Yet, when it comes to MDG 2, Achieving Universal Primary Education, we are far from halfway to meeting the targets. Currently there are 72 million children out of school and 86 countries that have failed to get all primary aged children into school. Based on current rates of progress, 58 of these will not achieve this by 2015. The number that will fail to get all children through primary school is much higher.
According to the MDGs, by 2005 girls and boys should have had equal access to both primary and secondary education...2005 has come and gone, and this goal was missed by more than 90 countries.
However, countries are not just missing the targets by failing to get more girls into school. If the goal of getting all children to complete a primary education by 2015 stands any chance of being achieved, other groups of children who have consistently been overlooked by education initiatives must be targeted – chief among these are disabled children.
Over one-third of the 72 million children still out of school are estimated to be disabled children – that’s over twice the total number of children in the UK. It has also been estimated that disability has a greater impact on access to education than gender, household economic status or whether a child lives in a rural or urban area. Many governments are still failing to take action to ensure disabled children can access free and high-quality primary education.
In order to achieve universal primary education, governments in both donor and partner countries must make sure that disabled children are central to education plans and aid packages.
This month Micah Action gives you an opportunity to contact Douglas Alexander about getting children with disabilities into education. Write to him today!
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your love that extends to every person on this planet as we are all created in your image. You look beyond physical appearance and our ability, straight at our hearts. You know the pains, the hopes and dreams of each one.
We ask that you will fulfil the plans you have for children of all abilities, plans to give them a future and a hope. Open the eyes of people to recognise their worth and deal with them accordingly.
Please break the walls of stigma, discrimination, rejection and apathy that surround disabled children. Take away the hopelessness, sense of isolation and unworthiness from their lives. Let the wounds of rejection be healed in Jesus’ name.
Release your compassion in the hearts of government workers, families, teachers and people who touch their lives. Let your love be expressed through practical care and access to education suited to meet these children’s needs. Help your people campaigning and working for this cause right across the world.
Show me what I can do. I will follow.
Thank you.
Amen.
Every child deserves an education.
Write to Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander. Urge him to ensure that the rights of disabled children to a primary education are met by 2015.
Follow the link below to World Vision’s website where you will find a template email.
Raise awareness and inspire others to get involved with this short video.
Enrol a friend! Ask them to join you in taking five to make sure disabled children have access to education.
