1. Assembly (key stages 2-3) – Send My Friends to School 2016
Welcome!
This year, Send My Friend to School is about children who are missing school due to emergencies.
During 2015, more children had to leave their homes and schools than ever before. Wars, earthquakes, tsunamis and other emergencies have put their right to education at great risk. (World at War, UNHCR Global Trends report, 2015)
Photos: Gurufoto/PLAN; Pieter ten Hoopen; Send My Friend to School 2016
2016 Assembly
Key stages 2 – 3

2. 2016 – Time for a journey
Everyone goes on journeys from time to time. What journeys have you been on lately? Mostly when we think of journeys, we tend to think of going on holiday, a day out, and even the journey to school.
Meet 12-year-old Mohamed. After an explosive hit his home in Syria, Mohamed’s family kept moving from village to village until they reached a refugee camp in Lebanon. He lives there with his mum and six sisters.
Like half of the children in Syrian refugee camps, Mohamed does not go to school (Cost of War, Save the Children report, 2015). He says that since he’s stopped going to school in 2011 he doesn’t feel as safe as he used to.
If we all speak up together we can influence leaders who have the chance to change things for children like Mohamed. So we’re asking that children in the UK to speak out for Mohamed. And on behalf of the tens of millions of children who are also missing school due to war and other emergencies.
This year we are going on a journey with children like Mohamed who have had to leave their homes and schools.
Photo: Lisa Rutherford/Oxfam

3. 102 million? 37 million? 12 million? 2016 – Time for a journey
Mohammed is one of the world’s 124 million children (aged 3 to 18 ) who are out of school.
Do you know, how many of these are unable to go to school because of an emergency (plant 3 people in the audience to call out or hold up these options):
102 million
37 million
12 million?
Answer: 37 million
Around the world there are 30 million who have been forced to flee their homes and schools and 10 million are refugees who have had to leave their country to live elsewhere. Like Mohammed, none of these children chose to go on a journey away from home. (UNICEF, 2015)
For more ideas, see activities at:
Photo: Lisa Rutherford/Oxfam

4. 20 years? 2 years? 6 months? 2016 – Time for a journey
What do you carry with you on your journey to and from school?
Mohammed left his home and school in such a hurry he no longer has a school bag.
Yet, he carries hope with him wherever he goes. Hope to one day return home.
Guess how many years on average it takes for children, who leave during war time, to return home (plant 3 people in the audience to call out or hold up these options):
20 years
2 years
6 months?
Answer: 20 years. Some people never return home. (World at War, UNHCR Global Trends report, 2015)
Photo: ActionAid

5. 2016 – Time for a journey
Many children are forced to leave their homes because of climate change and natural disasters.
Like thirteen-year-old Manju who lives in Dolakha in Nepal. Her life changed dramatically in 2015 when two massive earthquakes destroyed her village.
Manju lost her home and her school. She now attends a temporary learning centre, which is a 45 minutes walk away and across a dangerous bridge.
The earthquakes destroyed 35,000 classrooms and left one million children out of school.
Before the earthquakes, Nepal 98% of children were enrolled in school. (UNICEF, 2016)
Photo: Gurufoto/PLAN

6. 2016 – Time for a journey
Young Ambassadors Emily Pemberton and George Watts from Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr in Cardiff represented our campaign last year.
Emily told us that, “Like so many children I go to school everyday and I know that I’m pretty lucky to be here”.
George reminded us that one in ten children worldwide still do not go to school and millions more are not receiving quality education.
World leaders got about halfway to getting every child a primary education by They have since set a new goal to achieve quality education for all by 2030.
It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals agreed by world leaders at the UN in September 2015.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) aims to get 124 million children into school – all children up to the age of 15. This number includes both those children currently missing out on primary school (59 million) and those who are missing out on lower secondary school (65 million).
Photo: Send My Friend to School, 2015

7. £3 billion 2016 – Time for a journey
We need your help this summer to persuade world leaders to find an extra £3 billion per year, so that every child affected by emergencies can go to school.
After an emergency, one of the first things that children and parents ask is that access to schools be restored.
They say schools give children a routine to help them get through each day. Then they will begin to feel safe and have hope for the future.
But too little funding is available for education. There is a global shortfall of £3 billion a year – that’s £49 per child affected.
Let’s find out how we can make a difference together.

8. Create paper rucksacks!
This year Send My Friend to School’s campaign action is to create and decorate paper rucksacks, adding powerful and persuasive words as a message to world leaders.
These rucksacks symbolise the journeys that tens of millions of children are making, leaving their homes and schools behind.
Although these children only take a few things with them on their journey, we’d like you to imagine that they can take with them all the things they need.
Imagine that these things could be packed in a rucksack and kept safe for them until they are able to start school again.
On the rucksack you make you’ll be able to add a list of things to pack and you can fill the front pocket with paper cutouts symbolising what you’d like to pack for them, such as their friends, books, playground games or even a favourite teacher.
You can use the templates and instructions in the Teachers’ Guide to make your rucksacks.
For inspiration check out our rucksack image gallery at:
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

9. Create paper rucksacks!
Write on your school bag the things that are most important at school that you would pack for your friend.
You might find it helpful to start by thinking about what you would miss the most if you had to leave your school.
For example:
people who are important to you (friends or favourite teachers)
your favourite subjects
things that mean a lot to you, e.g. pencils, a favourite book, a football.
Next write your message to world leaders. What do they need to know? What will you ask them to do?
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

10. Isatu misses her friends, and learning things that will help her
Create paper rucksacks!
Let’s hear from Isatu about what she misses since she had to leave school.
Eight-year-old Isatu lives in Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Isatu’s life was devastated when an outbreak of the Ebola virus killed thousands of people across the country, including her mother and father. Her school was closed for 7 months. When her mum got sick, they had to burn all of their things as a precaution. Isatu now lives with her sister and grandmother and is desperate to go back to school, but she has no uniform.
Isatu misses playing with her friends and learning information that will protect her as she grows older.
Photo: Kate Holt/ActionAid UK

11. Jednel misses school: “It was like a family” Create paper rucksacks!
Jednel and his family lost their home when Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines. His school, Santo Nino Elementary, was also destroyed by a six metre high storm surge that followed the typhoon.
“This was the principal’s office,” says Jednel as he leads us through piles of rubble, broken glass and furniture. “I miss school; it was like a family.”
He continues, “I was happy when the school opened again in January. We still have our classes in a tent, but it doesn´t matter.”
Photo: Pieter ten Hoopen

12. Lucie misses feeling safe
Create paper rucksacks!
Twelve-year-old Lucie lives in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa.
The war there has claimed more than five million lives – making it the planet's deadliest conflict since World War II. Before the war, Lucie’s family ran a small wine-making business. Then the fighting started. Soldiers came into her home and burnt everything, and stole the family’s money.
Left with nothing, Lucie had to drop out of school and go to work in the fields to earn money for her family.
War Child is helping Lucie. She attends sessions at our safe space where she has the chance to play with other children and start to learn again. She is happier now and dreams of a better future.
Photo: War Child UK

13. Day of action: Friday 1 July
Join our national day of action on Friday 1 July!
Spread the word and get more people to speak up for children affected by emergencies who are missing out on school.
Here are some ideas:
invite your MP back to school on our day of action to hear about the campaign
hold a special event to get the whole school involved
download graphics and resources to create posters and presentations
try our activities with ideas for publicising the campaign.
Find everything you need here:
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

14. Join our national day of action on Friday 1 July!
At the end of June it’ll time to send your messages on a journey.
The first stop is your local MP who will send your messages to Prime Minister David Cameron.
This photo shows Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West with students from Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr in Cardiff.
Here’s what they are planning to do:
send the paper rucksack messages with a letter to an MP by the end of the summer term (their address is on the covering letter in the Teachers’ Pack).
ask the MP to take action on this issue and ask them to feed back to school about what they have done.
For great ideas for your letter and tips for what your MP can do go to:
Do get in touch with Send My Friend via the online form if you’d like t-shirts or help with media promotion for a special event:
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

15. Send My Friend to School!
Speak up!
Send My Friend to School!
Tips from inspiring people!
This photo shows hundreds of UK school students taking to the streets outside Parliament in support of Malala Yousafzai, an inspirational school girl campaigner who spoke up for the right of girls to receive an education.
It was a huge global news story in 2012 when Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in response to her campaigning in favour of girls’ education in Pakistan. Since that time, Malala has done lots of very high profile campaigning in support of girls accessing education all around the world . She was the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Here are some quotes from Malala:
“I speak, not for myself, but for those without voice to be heard…
“Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
“One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.”
Photo: Mark Chilvers/ActionAid

16. Get inspired!
Meet Samina Begum and Jessica Hardy, year 10 students at Limehurst School in Loughborough.
They have taken over from Emily and George as Send My Friend to School Young Ambassadors and travelled to Kenya this year with the campaign.
Their year-long-role will be to inspire thousands of other young people around the UK to speak out.
On hearing the news Samina, 14, said, “I still can’t believe that we did it!” Jessica added, “We are so grateful for this opportunity. …. I’m really looking forward to being able to get my voice heard and see what change we can make.”
You can read all about their trip and watch a film of it here:
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

17. Tell us what you did!
When you’ve taken part please remember to tell us what you did!
Record how many people took part on our online totaliser, where you will receive a certificate to thank you for taking part.
Tell us about your activities and add images and we’ll upload them to the online gallery.
Add your school here:
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016

18. Together we can make a difference!
Join Mohammed, Manju, Emily, George, Isatu, Jednel, Lucie, teachers and students at Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr, Malala, Jess, and Samina and speak out for the 37 million children missing out on school due to emergencies.
“You might think you are powerless, but if all the children of Britain act together you can be more powerful than any government. Together, you can be the generation that sees every child gets the education that is their right.” Nelson Mandela
Photo: Send My Friend to School 2016