On Tuesday 29th June, 10 Year 12 girls went with Miss Mellor to London to attend the annual Global Schools Forum on world poverty, which this year was focusing on primary education and its vital role in reducing poverty and improving quality of life for families and individuals. 72 million children across the world are currently missing out on even a basic primary education, and 54% of these are girls. Being in school can help to improve future work and earning prospects, keeps children out of dangerous work and becoming involved in the sex trade and the military, and helps to educate them to be more tolerant of others, going some way to reducing some of the conflict that has ravaged much of the developing world for many years.

- An educated individual will

- Through their working life earn an extra 10% salary for every year of schooling

- be 40% less likely to become infected with HIV

- Children of mothers who are educated are 40% more likely to live beyond age 5

- Countries with an educated population:
          -reduce their risk of civil war by 4% for every 10% of their youth in school
          -gain an extra 1% GDP for every year of schooling provided for the population on average

However, we also learned about the barriers that many children face when trying to get an education. These include conflict, poverty, labour practices, and the standards of many school facilities; it is easy to see how the situation has become a vicious cycle.
The second Millennium Development Goal (MDG2) states: "by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling." Since 2000 progress has been made towards this as follows:
• Since the turn of the millennium 47 million more children across the world are attending primary school
• The share of girls out of school has dropped from 58% to 54%
However, much more needs to be done, and it is estimated that an investment in education of £7bn per year (that is £35bn in total) is required to reach the goal. This is less than the amount that was invested in UK banks to recapitalise them straight after the banking crisis. If we believe in the importance and value of an investment such as these then we do have the capacity to make it.

Throughout the conference, many different speakers from around the world gave their own views and experiences in relation to working to prevent poverty by providing education for all children. Acclaimed singer/songwriter and former child soldier, Ben Okafor performed his new single ‘One Goal' and we were invited to take part in a competition to write an extra verse for Ben's song. We participated in debates about Fairtrade products and the feasibility of providing good quality state education, and also saw footage and interviews of children involved in military activities or living without their parents. A lot of the information and videos were quite shocking and moving, and served as a candid reminder of how lucky we actually are to be able to attend school each day. Among a range of other leading speakers was the Minister for International Development, Stephen O'Brien, who said: "I'd like to thank each of the students for the work they'll be doing to teach others about global poverty. Their efforts will influence so many people to take vital action on the issues facing millions of people across the world blighted by poverty."

We would also like to thank Miss Mellor for her hard work in organizing what was a very valuable and thought-provoking day, and we hope we didn't embarrass her too much on the train!

Aimée Presswood