The debt crisis is denying millions of children the education they deserve
In 25 African countries, governments are spending more on debt payments than on education. This leaves less money for the basics of schooling, from teachers to textbooks.
Later this year, the UK will take over the presidency of the G20, a group of the world’s richest countries with huge influence over global debt rules. As the world faces the worst debt crisis in 35 years, the government must use this opportunity to put debt justice at the top of the agenda.
Tell your MP: Put education before debt
Send your MP a back-to-school assignment and demand that the government take action on the debt crisis
Already emailed your MP? Here are more ways you can build support for putting education before debt.
Send a letter to your
local paper
Raise awareness of the debt crisis in your community and encourage more people to take action
Share a photo on
social media
Post a photo with our back-to-school message and help spread the word on social media.
We know debt cancellation can make a huge difference because we’ve seen it before. In the early 2000s, campaigners around the world joined forces to win an incredible $130 billion in debt cancellation. In countries that had their debts cancelled, the number of children completing primary school rose by a quarter.
Together, we can help win that kind of change again. But the government must use the coming months to prepare, listen to countries affected by the debt crisis and make debt justice a priority for its G20 presidency.
“The learners are many while the teachers are few, leading to a single teacher handling over 100 students, which is very difficult to teach properly.”
—Moses Mtalika, Head Teacher in Malawi