Students raise hands in show of support for the education of girls

PUPILS around the country tried to get into the record books yesterday to help those not lucky enough to have any schooling.

The world’s largest simultaneous lesson was organised as part of the Global Campaign for Education to highlight the fact 125 million children around the world have no access to education.

Of those, two-thirds are girls, and the lesson given in more than 100 countries was that girls and women needed an equal chance to learn.

In an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records, it was taught to students in thousands of classrooms, education centres, village halls and churches around the world.

At 2pm yesterday, hundreds of schools took part in the half-hour class which was preceded by a hands-up protest.

Thousands of primary and second-level students downed their pens and placed their hands in the air for a minute in support of girls’ education.

Teachers told pupils if a woman completed primary education, her children were twice as likely to survive beyond the age of five and half as likely to suffer from malnutrition. An girl who is educated is also

better able to protect herself and her family against HIV and AIDS.

The event was organised by the Irish Coalition for Global Campaign for Education, which

comprises the country’s three teacher unions, ASTI, TUI and INTO, along with ActionAid Ireland, Concern, Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Oxfam Ireland.

“The Irish Government is one of 185 governments which is committed to providing basic education for all by 2015.

“However, unless all of them

undertake to achieve specific measurable goals, more than 71 of the world’s poorest countries will miss the target and millions of children will be condemned to a lifetime of poverty,” said Irish Coalition spokesperson David Joyce.