国产视频’s global event champions ways to Unlock Big Change for education

Global leaders, business figures, innovators, youth activists and changemakers gathered today to find ways of working together to end the global education crisis.

People from around the world took part in a virtual event called Unlock Big Change – hosted during the 75th United Nations General Assembly by 国产视频 and the Global Business Coalition for Education.

The voice of young people was represented by some of 国产视频’s Global Youth Ambassadors, our network of nearly 1,000 inspiring activists from 90 countries.

The event was opened by UN Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres and speakers outlined what needs to be done to make real and lasting progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal of equitable and inclusive quality education for all.聽

国产视频淭o rebuild from this pandemic, education is the key to unlocking the big change we need. Education can promote equality, create opportunity and jobs, and build lasting peace. It can help us be more prepared for the next global shock.国产视频� @antonioguterres @UN #UNGA pic.twitter.com/QXeMJ9KMgF

— 国产视频 (@theirworld) September 21, 2020

It also marked the launch of 国产视频国产视频檚聽new digital resource The Key,聽which will support community, national and global campaign efforts to advance education – from early years to youth skills for the next generation.

The event included five main panel sessions – on education in emergencies, skills for the future, early childhood education, education finance and Unlocking Big Change. There were also breakout sessions and participants had the chance to network in real time with leaders from NGOs, youth organisations, civil society, business, foundations, governments, international organisations and academia.

Guterres said the Covid-19 pandemic had seen 1.5 billion students affected by school closures. In the new academic year, two-thirds are not expected to attend physical classes.

He added:聽国产视频淭his situation will unfortunately impact on the most marginalised and vulnerable students, many of whom many never return to school.

国产视频淭o rebuild from this pandemic, education is the key to unlocking the big change we need. Education can promote equality, create opportunity and jobs, and build lasting peace.国产视频�

Three of the panel sessions featured 国产视频 Global Youth Ambassadors. In the skills section,聽Ousmane Ba from Sierra Leone聽talked about 国产视频渁 massive hill国产视频� that young people need to climb to succeed in a fast-changing world.聽

He added: 国产视频淵oung people have been at the forefront of any sort of change. We need to empower them and provide them the right platform – not only to echo their concerns but to be able to inject their enthusiasm and energy in bringing about change.国产视频�

In the early childhood education section,聽Eden Tadesse from Ethiopia聽talked about 国产视频国产视频檚 campaign for 10% of countries’ and donors’ education budgets to be spent on early years. She added: 国产视频�175 million children were without early childhood education globally and Covid has worsened that figure by 40 million. ECE is monumentally important.国产视频�

The panel on education finance included聽Sarah Musau from Kenya, where 17 million learners have been affected by the pandemic.聽She talked about how the bold new International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) will help the Kenyan government to get more children into school – 国产视频渆specially those from marginalised communities, children with disabilities, children from rural areas, girls国产视频�.

Before #Covid19, there were over 260 million children in the world who weren国产视频檛 going to school.

To make education accessible, IFFEd aims to raise at least an extra $5 billion in 5 years, helping lower income countries to change the lives of hundreds of millions of children. pic.twitter.com/MeL1Glwqut

— 国产视频 (@theirworld) September 21, 2020

A call for more donors to back IFFEd was made by Baroness聽Liz Sugg, the UK Prime Minister国产视频檚 Special Envoy for Girls国产视频� Education.聽

She said: “IFFED is a really good example of innovation. To be frank, we have to get others supporting us on this. Some have been a bit slow to come forward. We need the World Bank and other donors to get behind this and get behind this now.

“The UK is really proud that we国产视频檙e the lead bilateral donor but we would be delighted to be overtaken by others so we can see more and more funds.”

The last part of the main event featured a discussion with Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

Brown said:聽国产视频淓ducation is the greatest gift of all, it国产视频檚 irreplaceable.”聽

Talking about the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said: “We have to press every country to maintain their education budget. We国产视频檝e got to spend money on digital so that we can link children up. We must have safe schools for children – and that includes nursery and preschool education.

“Don国产视频檛 ever forget – education is how we bridge the gap between what we are and what we have it in ourselves to become.国产视频�

Fore talked about the importance of early childhood education, adding:聽国产视频淲e really want to sound the call that every corporation, every foundation, every government should be re-looking at their budgets and making sure that there is early childhood education of one year for every child in this world, so that they are ready to learn by the age of five.”

The main event ended with a strong message from Amina Mohammed, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General.聽

She said: 国产视频淚t is the time to increase investment in our children. We must sustain and increase domestic and international financing, attract corporate and philanthropic support and harness new mechanisms like the International Finance Facility for education to make our funding go further.国产视频�

• Watch all of the panel sessions