wfn.org | Archbishop of York - Calls for Achieving "Education For All"

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Archbishop of York - Calls for Joint Action to Achieve "Education For
All" at UN Emergency Summit

Posted On : September 26, 2008 3:51 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
Related Categories: ACO - UN  England

ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/9/26/ACNS4528

The Archbishop of York launched the "Education For All" initiative
during a session of the UN's emergency summit on Millennium Development
Goals yesterday.

Speaking in New York alongside Gordon Brown and Former US President Bill
Clinton, Dr. Sentamu said: "We are half way to the 2015 MDG targets and
yet 75 million children remain out of school completely. Twice as many,
mostly girls, go for a short while but then drop out. We may think we
are making progress on education but the facts are that too many
children around the world are receiving inadequate education and in many
cases, no education at all....This is a scandal for many reasons. If we
do not educate our children, what hope can there be for the future? But
it is also a scandal because it shows just how wrong our priorities have
become."

The "Education For All" initiative is part of the Global Campaign for
Education which seeks to provide free, compulsory public education, and
to meet the third of the Millennium Development Goals: universal primary
education.

Highlighting the urgent need for action the Archbishop said: "As
citizens, and as children of God, we need to build a society where each
individual can flourish and become the whole person they were created to
be. Education is part of that transformative process for us to become
fully human. ...Education is about finding out who we are, where we
belong, and what the purpose of our lives is. It is not just about
acquiring knowledge and skills - the root of 'education' is 'educare'
which means to 'draw out'. We need to draw out from every person in
every country, the gifts and potential they possess. As Christians, as
educators, as human beings, our calling is to help others to attain
their full humanity - not to beat them in the race but to share with
them the prize."

Dr. Sentamu also highlighted the work of the Edith Jackson Trust, one of
the charities for which he is patron, and of their work to build primary
schools in Southern Sudan:

"Southern Sudan has the lowest access to education than any other
country in the world, with only 20% of children enrolling at primary
school and less than 2% completing primary education. For girls, this
figure is less than 1%. As a result 92% of southern Sudanese women and
80% of men are illiterate....Girls in southern Sudan are more likely to
die in pregnancy or childbirth than complete primary education.

"Today we need to remember that we who have received the benefits of
education have a responsibility to those who went before and those who
come after us. That responsibility is to pass on the learning and
discernment and wisdom, and to ensure all children are able to receive
the benefits of that education."

> Ends

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