Australian students visit schools in Gurgaon for a campaign titled Nine is Mine

Updated on: Monday, February 04, 2013

A delegation of students from Australia visited schools in Gurgaon for a campaign titled 'Nine is Mine'. The campaign calls for 9% of the nation's expenditure to be committed to health and education by 2014.

The delegation comprised of 11 students, accompanied by four teachers from Seymour Girls College, Adelaide, Australia, who visited the Salwan Public School and S D Adarsh Vidyalaya recently.

According to the findings of these students, India currently spends about 4% of its GDP ( gross domestic product) on education and 1.45% on health, which is one of the lowest in the world. The Kothari Commission recommended that India devote 6% to education by 1986, while WHO recommends that all nations should invest 5% on health.

In this regard, a public day march or jan diwas utsav is being organized on February 2 by children themselves to call for a truly inclusive India and for budgetary allocation for nation's children.

Lynne Moten, director of service learning, Australia, said, "We invite all to join this campaign to promote awareness at the grassroots who deserve proper health facilities and education."

The campaign will be presented along with cultural and contemporary dances, marches, festoons, brass bands and song. Thousands of children from different schools across India and Delhi are expected to participate in the procession to be held at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

Asha Sharma, president of S D Adarsh Vidyalaya Society, which have three schools running under their banner in Gurgaon, said, "The students visited our schools and also participated in buddy classes with class XI students. The group of students gave a presentation on the programme and the present situation of education and health in India, which requires dire attention of the government."

Social activists, corporate leaders and party general secretaries are also expected to be a part of the march.

Australian students visit schools in Gurgaon for a campaign titled Nine is Mine

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