HUNDREDS of tiny teachers made of paper are on their way from Gwent to Westminster, to remind the prime minister of a government pledge to get all children into education by 2015.

Chris Evans MP for Islwyn visited Newbridge School on Friday last week to see the cut-out puppets made by 200 Year 8 pupils, after one of them wrote him a letter.

Mr Evans has invited the pupils to London for a tour of the House of Commons, followed by a visit to Number 10 Downing Street to present their puppets.

Pupils across the country have been making teachers out of paper and card and writing on the back what they think makes a good teacher.

This is part of the ‘Send My Friend To School’ initiative, set up because teachers and campaigners fear the Millennium Goal that no child should be out of education by 2015 will not be met.

Head of Year 8 at Newbridge School, Tania Clough, told the Argus: “By 2015 it is predicted there will be at least 48 million children still out of education worldwide and a global shortage of 1.7 million teachers.

“The ‘Send My Friend To School’ initiative is a branch of the Global Campaign for Education which has been going for a long time and puts pressure on governments every few years to remind them of the pledge,”

she said.

“A few years ago we sent small cut-outs of children and this year I decided to do something about citizenship, and how everybody can come together for the common good, it hasn’t got to be a major thing.”

Mr Evans MP said the statistics were shocking.

“That is why it is great to see students at Newbridge doing their bit to make sure that the government do not forget their promise to ensure all children have an education by 2015,” he said.

“I will be delighted to welcome them to Parliament so they can present their puppets to Number 10.”