London is preparing to host the 2012 Olympics in July. Athletes from around the world will perform to the best of their abilities to make their country proud by winning medals at Olympics.  A recent BBC survey suggests that people in developing and middle-income countries get the greatest lift from Olympic achievements linking Olympics success to national pride.

For many athletes being able to compete at the Olympics is a lifelong dream and the opportunity to exploit their full potential. But over 200 million children under the age of five, do not receive early childhood care. There are also 67 million children of primary school age who  are still held back from reaching their potential because they don't get an education. Many millions are forced to drop out of school before they complete their education- meaning they have less chance to achieve their potential and end the cycle of poverty.

Every child has the right to education, and these rights start from birth. Therefore, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is organising  Global Action Week on 22 -28 April 2012. GCE is calling on world leaders to keep their promises and ensure early childhood care and education for every child - right from the start. Being an active member of the GCE, VSO staff, partners and volunteers are supporting the action week in many countries.

Send My Friend to School: Go for Gold!

In the UK, VSO is part of the Send My Friend to School: Go for Gold! campaign. The members of the campaign believe that every child should have the opportunity to achieve all that they can and education is key to that. This year’s campaign, inspired by the Olympic Games, calls on leaders to 'Go for Gold!' for education.

Take action

VSO is an active member of the Global Campaign for Education and I invite you to take  an action.
Are you a teacher? Sign up to take part in the campaign and get your free resource pack, including teacher’s guide, posters and stickers: www.sendmyfriend.org/take-action/order-schools-pack