Mark will be taking part in this year's Big Read on 22 April which is part of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), the world’s largest children’s campaign. The GCE is calling on world leaders to keep their promises that every child in the world will complete a quality primary education by 2015.

There are 72 million children who are currently out of school around the world and the Big Read is part of GCE’s Global Action Week which aims to highlight the importance of education.

Mark said:

“A number of schools in my constituency have taken part in this campaign in previous years, and I know that some have already decided to take part in this year’s campaign. I would urge all schools in Edinburgh North & Leith to think about taking part this year.”

Jan Raven, Actress and ActionAid Ambassador, was also on hand to show her support for the campaign:

“With 75 million children around the world still out of school, we're asking politicians and decision makers to speed up their efforts to end the education crisis by providing a primary education for all by 2015. Unless we act now, 40 million children will still be out of school by this date. Learning to read and write opens doors for children, which is why we’re asking MPs from across the parties to get involved in the Big Read to highlight the importance of literacy.”

Thousands of children up and down the UK will get involved in The Big Read on 22 April, as part of a mass event also happening in 100 countries worldwide. Pupils will invite MPs to attend a school-wide read and write-athon, where they will read inspiring words form influential people including Nelson Mandela, and will write and read out their own stories about their experience of literacy. Pupils will then send their words to the Prime Minister before he flies off to the G8 in Italy in June.

Since 2000, when world leaders promised that every child in the world would have completed a quality primary education by 2015, millions of schoolchildren worldwide have taken part in the GCE to make sure that this promise is not forgotten. Nelson Mandela, Michael Morpurgo and Dakota Blue are among some of the high profile supporters of this campaign, and have contributed a story, poem or speech for the Big Read.

More information and free packs are available by visiting www.sendmyfriend.org