UN backs attempt to set world record for largest lesson during education week

Children and adults from more than 100 countries will attempt to break the world record for the largest simultaneous lesson during celebrations supported by the United Nations to mark the annual Education For All (EFA) week.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today said it is supporting the 9 April record attempt, organized by the Global Campaign for Education, a coalition of charities, trade unions and citizen groups worldwide. UNESCO will also participate in the celebrations that will focus this year on the importance and benefits of education girls and women.

The current record for the largest lesson, according to the Guinness Book of Records, was set in March last year when 28,801 children took part in a language class in the United Kingdom. The simultaneous lesson in observance of EFA week, 6 to 8 April, will be held under the theme, "All for Girl's Education."

UNESCO said although more girls are getting into school, there are still gender disparities three years after 164 countries met in Dakar, Senegal, during the World Education Forum where they agreed to eliminate such inequalities in primary and secondary education by 2005.

The EFA Global Monitoring Report last year stated that women make up two-thirds of the world's 861 million illiterate adults. In addition, of the estimated 11.4 million children out of school some 56 per cent are girls.