�鶹��

Available for over a year

My grandfather, who died before I was born, once told my mum that a good education was the most important thing he could leave to his children. More important than wealth or riches. It was his words that echoed through my mind 18 years ago as I walked – knees trembling into my school to pick up my A-Level results. My parents had moved from Nigeria to the UK some 14 years earlier, and in a way, my results – that saw me take up my place at Cambridge University – enabled the dreams of my immigrant parents to come true. Education provides much more than merely academic learning, but gives young people a sense of dignity, no matter their race, background or where in the world they live. As we’ve seen over the past week, Covid-19 has wreaked havoc with the education and futures of so many young people. But former leaders including Tony Blair and Sir John Major have this week warned that worldwide school closures could see a billion children in 160 countries miss out on school this year, with an estimated 30 million unlikely to return at all. This will be devastating for those children’s futures – especially in countries where being out of school increases the risk of forced marriage, child labour and hunger. The church I attend in an urban and diverse area of south-east London dates back to 1844 when a group of Christian men and women opened one of London’s first ‘ragged schools’ in a loft above a cowshed on the high street. The ragged schools were set up to provide free education for children living in poverty in the 19th century. These children were often excluded from Sunday School because of their ‘ragged’ appearance, denied the dignity of a good education because they were poor. I find this absolutely tragic. Because, as my grandfather said, giving a child an education is one of the greatest gifts we can give. I’ve been impressed by British rapper Stormzy’s approach. This week he announced he would give half a million pounds to fund educational scholarships for disadvantaged children. I believe the actions of faith at its best should speak louder than words. As it says in the New Testament: “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” A good education should break down barriers, not erect them. Recent days have cast a spotlight on the inequalities that exist in our education systems – nationally and globally. As we pick up the pieces, my hope is we’ll build back to a stronger and fairer education system, that gives everyone the best chances in life.