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By Veronica Oakeshott - 23rd September 2010
Following Nick Clegg's speech to the United Nations General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals, Veronica Oakeshott reports from New York on one African girl's visit to the summit.
At twelve years old Nthabiseng Tshabalala has already met presidents and prime ministers, but this is her first trip outside of her home country of South Africa.
Nthabiseng has come to New York for the Millennium Development Goal Conference to campaign for the 69 million of children around the world who are denied a basic education.
A grueling 16 hour flight and the sensory onslaught of the City That Never Sleeps have not diminished her quiet confidence.
“I love New York” says the slight South African, who wears a red sweater and a cap asserting the same.
Nthabiseng was brought up by her mother and grandmother, but by the time she was nine, both had died. They were not a wealthy family.
“I had no uniform.” she says, “I went to school in flip-flops. My friends would say ‘sorry we don’t play with poor people.’”
Now that she lives with her aunt and cousins in Soweto, finances are a little easier. “I always have a good uniform and clean shoes. You could never tell my family is poor.” she laughs.
School uniforms are compulsory either formally or in practice in many countries in Africa. Even in countries like Zambia - which has specific government policies that assert the right of children to be in school without a uniform - pupils are often sent home for being too scruffy.
The abolition of school fees in many African countries has led to considerable progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goal of primary education for all but hidden costs like uniforms remain a barrier. Worldwide, one in ten primary school age children are still out of school.
When children do make it to school, they often struggle to learn in huge class sizes. The Global Campaign for Education, which is supporting Nthabiseng’s trip to the UN, is calling for an extra 18 million teachers to be in schools by 2015.
Nthabiseng is glad to be playing her part in the mission to educate her generation. “Tomorrow I’m going to meet Ban Ki Moon. I’m going to ask him to get 69 million children into school.” she says.
The Secretary General’s task has just been made easier by two substantial announcements at the UN conference. The World Bank is to spend an extra $750m over the next five years on primary education gap, and the Australian government will be spending $5bn.
Despite her celebrity filled diary, and the excitement of a trip to New York, twelve-year old Nthabiseng has not set her sights on a career in campaigning. She wants to be a doctor. With the right education and a bright mind like hers, there’s a good chance her dream can come true.
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