Finchley pupils teach world leaders a lesson
More than 200 pupils from a Finchley school took part in a Guinness World Record breaking attempt to hold the world's biggest lesson last week.
Finchley Catholic High School, in Woodside Lane, teamed up with thousands of schools in more than 120 countries across two time zones on April 23 to be taught a lesson about the global education crisis.
The event, held between 9am and 9.30am in the UK, was organised by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to raise awareness about the number of children who have no access to education. Despite a pledge by world leaders in 200 that all children would have access to primary education by 2015, currently some 72 million children across the globe do not attend school.
Finchley Catholic High School lay chaplain Noel Kenely taught the lesson. He said: "It was very successful, and a fun way of showing the boys the reality of the situation and the importance of education.
"Everyone was highly receptive to the ideas and reacted to the class in a very positive way. Both they and I were shocked to hear the figures."
Year 7 pupil Jack McKenna, 11, said the event had made him think differently about education. He said: "I learnt that there's 72 million children who never get to go to school, with lots of them having to work to support their families. It's really sad and needs to be stopped.
"If children don't get to go to school, they won't have the chance to get a good job and everything will be very hard for them. I hope we can do something to help."
Politicians returning to classrooms across the world included the Secretary of State for International Development Alexander Douglas, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.
In Bangladesh a host of activities were held, including children's rallies, art competitions, street plays and debates, and in the Dominican Republic more than 300 schools compiled letters to political leaders about education that were delivered to the National Congress.
Mr Douglas said: "Education is vital in the fight against poverty and it's inspirational to see so many young people campaigning for all children to go to school.
"Giving all children an education is within our grasp if the right steps are taken, and this will be a real lesson for the world."
The World's Biggest Lesson marked the start of Send My Friend 2008. Over the next few weeks UK schoolchildren will continue the campaign by sending Missing Out action cards to the Prime Minister before the G8 summit in June, each of which will represent one child who is missing out on an education.
For more information visit sendmyfriend.org
4:02pm Monday 28th April 2008
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