Education summit during World Cup will aim to close funding gap

The campaign to ensure that universal education  is a lasting impact of the 2010  World Cup received a huge boost when President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain announced after meeting in London that South Africa will host a global summit on education during the World Cup this summer.

Adrian Lovett, chair of the 1GOAL campaign committee, said: “Today’s announcement that there will be an education summit gives real political momentum to the campaign to ensure all children go to school.  The world’s greatest game could leave the world’s greatest legacy: an education for every child.  We look to world leaders, led by President Zuma, to ensure Africa’s first World Cup unlocks the school gates to 72 million children that currently cannot get in.”

The 1GOAL campaign is for the first time looking to secure change for millions of people using a sporting event as a backdrop for social change. It is backed by FIFA and footballing heroes such as Zinedine Zidane, Sir Bobby Charlton and Marcel Desailly.

Britain’s secretary of state for international development, Douglas Alexander, said: “This summit will focus attention on the importance of education in the developing world. It will also raise new funding that is desperately needed to improve education globally. I welcome President Zuma’s leadership ”