National Coalition
South Africa - GCE-SA

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News
23rd April – Bua News – South Africa
South Africa: Disadvantaged Schools to Teach 'World's Biggest Lesson'

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Member Organisations
SA NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), People’s Budge Campaign (PBC),  SA Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), Wits Volunteers Programme, Adult Learning Network (ALN), SA Congress on ECD (SACECD), Nat Prof Teachers Association (NAPTOSA), People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), Zimbabwe Refugees (ZIMRE), Methodist Church of SA, Soul City, Aids Consortium

What happened in Action Week 2009?
Amidst football fever with the FIFA Confederations Cup taking place in Johannesburg, hundreds of people came together to campaign for the right to Education For All. The South African Big Read was postponedto June due to national elections in April. The chosen, June 16th corresponded with the national Youth Day holiday where the entire country focused on the needs of the youth, with education being on the top of the list. The event launched the South African Big Read book with stories from local celebrities such as Human Rights Lawyer George Bizos, internationally acclaimed
BAFTA winner, Xoliswa Sithole and published authors, renowned musicians, activists and writers among others. It was held at Xarra Books in the cultural hub of Newtown in Johannesburg, just across the Nelson Mandela Bridge.

The newly established South African coalition, Public Participation in Education Network (PPEN) working with GCE, got participants to sign the call to action and distributed printed copies of the
book. A group of students drew pictures and wrote stories about the importance of education and the event was covered by television and print media.

What happened in Action Week 2008?
In South Africa the National Welfare Social Service & Development Forum and Help2Read brought the lesson to over 700 learners at 11 primary schools in some of Cape Town’s most disadvantaged areas.

Learners at Kenridge primary reminded local politicians that the quality education provided by their school was a privilege available only to a precious few in South Africa. The lesson was delivered in ten schools in the Mitchell's Plain, Athlone and Retreat areas of Cape Town, where learning resources are scarce and class sizes often exceed 40 learners.

After the 30-minute interactive lesson, the children got a chance to use their creativity to pass on the messages of the lesson to decision-makers in South Africa and beyond. In Durban at the Ocean Conference Centre, hundreds of teachers joined the rest of the world in the World’s Biggest Lesson. The event was organised by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU)

What happened in Action Week 2007?

The week kicked-off in Cape Town where teacher unions and NGO’s marched to the provincial parliament to deliver their demand to the legislature, gaining
lots of attention in the press.

Activities followed on in Johannesburg, at an educational festival of song, dance, theatre and poetry. Powerful speakers included the popular Bishop Paul Veryn from Soweto. Speeches aimed to influence the municipality to introduce free quality early childhood education for all children.