The Prime Minister has joined world leaders and footballers in launching the 2010 FIFA World Cup 1GOAL campaign, which aims to provide school places for the 75 million children out of school globally.

Sign up to support the 1GOAL campaign

Gordon Brown attended an event at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium in London this afternoon as part of a worldwide show of support for the campaign, which hopes to recruit millions of supporters through a mass sign-up in time for next year’s World Cup.

Hosted by Gary Lineker, the event linked up by satellite with world leaders such as Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain and President Zuma of South Africa, and representatives of England’s football team Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and David James.

The PM signed his name to the initiative and said next year’s World Cup is the first to be held on African soil, providing an “unprecedented opportunity” to focus on education.

“It’s an outrage that 35m African children miss out on a basic primary education, tackling that would be an incredible achievement. That is why I am delighted that global leaders, some of the world’s best footballers and ordinary people from every continent have come together back 1GOAL.
“I am today urging all world leaders to sign up to this campaign and promise to make next year an historic turning point.”

The 1GOAL campaign aims to encourage governments to give more aid for education; encourage greater investment in teachers, textbooks and schools in developing countries; and a better understanding in the developing world of the importance of sending children to school.

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