Lesson Objectives:
1. To explain the importance of getting a good quality education.
2. To explain the number of people who do not get an education.
3. To explain the impact not being able to read and write or count has on someone’s life.
4. To ‘teach’ politicians a lesson about the importance of education and the need to take urgent action.
This will either mean presenting them with materials if they are present in the class or making some
materials and sending it to them.
5. To have a lesson plan which is flexible enough to be useful for children of all ages and from different
cultures around the world.
A) INTRODUCTION (3 mins)
The teacher explains what a world record is.
Examples include:
· The world record holder for jumping the furthest distance is Mike Powell who jumped 8.95 meters.
That is as long as five people lying down one after the other.
· The world record holder for the fastest land animal is the cheetah. At its top speed it can cover 100
meters in around 3 seconds.
Teacher explains that the learners are taking part in a world record attempt and that they will be joining with
millions of other learners from all over the world in taking the same lesson at the same time, including many
politicians. Schools and other groups in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and Latin America will
be taking part.
This world record attempt has been organised by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). The GCE is a
worldwide movement of teachers, charities and community groups who want to remind governments of their
promises to end illiteracy and get all of the world’s children into school.
B) QUALITY EDUCATION (7 mins)
Teacher asks the learners “what makes for a good or bad education?”
Learners are asked to suggest things you need for a good education in their school and in the world at large.
Examples of a whether an education is of good quality or not could include:
· The number of children are in a class
· A teacher who is caring and properly trained
· The number of teaching materials
· Learning something interesting and relevant
· Safe and secure environment
The teacher provides some examples of bad quality education at the global level.
Examples could include:
· In Zambia the average size of a class is 64 children to 1 teacher, in many schools it is over 100
children to a class. (you could count the number of children in your class as a comparison.)
· In Liberia there are 27 children for every textbook in primary schools.
· Over half of 11 year old children in countries like Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, the United
Republic of Tanzania and Zambia learn in classrooms that have no books at all
C) ENDING EXCLUSION (7 MINS)
The teacher explains that many children miss out on even a bad quality education.
The teacher asks the class to guess how many adults around the world cannot read and write.
The answer is over 750 million adults.
If the teacher wants to put this in context, it is more than the entire population of United States, Russia, Brazil,
South Africa, Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia put together.
The teacher explains that this is because some groups of children miss out on school altogether.
The teacher explains that for example girls particularly miss out on an education around the world, which is
why 1 in 4 women in the world cannot read or write.
The teacher asks learners to suggest which groups of children would be most likely to miss out on an
education.
Possible answers of excluded groups would be:
· Poverty - Many children are forced to work instead, particularly those from poorer families. Many
children from poorer families and orphans are unable to afford the fees.
· Geographical location- In many countries the Government is unwilling or unable to provide enough
schools. The nearest school may be many miles away making it inaccessible if you do not have
access to transport.
· Gender –Many of the poorest people in the world have to pay fees and pay for books and uniforms if
they want their children to go to school. If there is not enough money, boys are paid for, not girls.
Many girls are kept out of school because the walk to school is unsafe or they may face abuse or bad
treatment inside the classroom. Early Marriage, the lack of separate toilet facilities and shortage of
Women teachers are further barriers.
· Conflict/internal displacement – Wars and fighting stop children from going to school. Many children
have to live in refugee camps for years, denying them the chance to go to school.
· Ethnicity –Some Governments won’t or can’t provide schools in all areas and bias the allocation of
schools against ethnic minorities. Language can be a main barrier as many countries refuse to provide
schooling in the language that ethnic minorities speak – and so these children never go to school.
D) IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION TO END EXCLUSION (8 mins)
The Teacher explains why receiving a good education and being able to read and write is important.
The teacher asks learners to say how their future life would be different if they grew up and didn’t know how to
read, write or count.
Sample Answers could include:
· Harder to get a job
· Unable to use the internet or send a text message
· Unable to read a book
· Unable to read road signs or which bus to catch
· Unable to buy and sell things without being ripped off
· Unable to help their children learn to read or write
· Unable to read cooking or medical instructions
The Teacher explains some of the wider benefits of receiving a good education.
Examples could include the fact that in Africa:
· If a girl completes primary school her chances of catching HIV/AIDS falls by half
· If a child completes primary school they will earn twice as much when they work.
· For every year a girl completes at primary school the chances of her children surviving past the age of
5 increases by 12%.
The teacher closes the section by mentioning that world leaders have promised every child an education, but
so far they are not keeping their promise.
The teacher could mention that the world has set the target of getting every boy and girl into school by 2015 as
part of the six “Education for All Goals” set by over 180 countries in Dakar, Senegal in the year 2000. This also
includes a promise to halve the number of adults who cannot read or write through adult education. So far the
world is off track and many countries will not meet the goal of universal education by 2115 let alone 2015.
E) EVALUATION (5 minutes).
Teacher asks the whole class the following questions. The learners put their hand up if they want to answer
the question – and the teacher calls on learners in turn to answer until one gets it correct. If a politician is
present you may call on them to answer one of the questions
Q.1. What is the fastest land animal?
A.1 The cheetah
Q.2 Can they give an example of what makes for a good education?
A.2 Any of the answers the learners came up with under section B
Q.3 How many adults in the world cannot read and write?
A.3 over 750 million
Q.4 What proportion of women in the world are unable to read or write?
A.4 One in Four
Q.5. Can they give an example of why being able to read, write and count is important?
A.5 Any of the answers the learners came up with under section D
Q6. Has every child been promised an education?
A6. Yes
This concludes the 30 minute core lesson – you can now be part of the World Record!
F) REGISTERING YOUR WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
Individual learners’ names must be on an attendance sheet showing that the children have taken part in the
World’s Biggest Lesson demanding quality education for all. TWO Independent witnesses must sign the
Authentication Form. The form is returned to be presented to world leaders and to Guinness World Records
(the organization that monitors World Records around the world) to verify the world record attempt.
G) MESSAGE TO POLITICIANS (20 mins)
The Teacher explains that today all around the world politicians are learning about the importance of
Education for All.
The Teacher asks learners to state what message on education for all they would like to tell decision makers
and politicians.
1- IF A POLITICIAN IS PRESENT THEY ARE THEN ASKED TO COME TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS.
Teacher asks the visiting politician to comment on the issues that have been raised.
Learners ask the politician questions about the issue and what they are doing to help keep the promise of
Education for All by 2015.
If prepared beforehand, the learners in countries missing the Education for All goals can present the politicians
with a map highlighting those children in the local community who are missing out on education and why. The
learners can ask the politician to act to ensure every child goes to school.
Teacher and learners thank the politician and ask to be kept updated on the progress towards Education for
All.
2 - IF A POLITICIAN IS NOT PRESENT THEN THE LEARNERS PREPARE MESSAGES TO SEND TO THE
POLITICIANS.
These can be in any form and from individuals or from a whole class.
Popular ideas include.
· Cut out shapes representing the children and adults missing an education with messages asking the
politician to help give everyone the chance to get an education.
· Posters supporting the right of everyone to go school.
· (For schools in countries without Education for All) Do a survey of out of school children in the local
community and create a map of those who are missing out and why they are not in school. Present
this evidence to the politician asking them to act to ensure every child goes to school.
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Lesson plans 
