Dear UK Political Party Leaders,
Re: Global education can unite us
As we head toward a general election, our minds are swimming; with all the wrongs that need to be righted and all the rights that need to be wrestled for.
Top amongst these is every child’s right to an education. With conflicts raging around the world, hunger overwhelming populations, climate crises dramatically rising and the equality gap growing painfully, why is education top of our to-do list? Because education is both the greatest solution and the greatest victim of all these global issues we face.
The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, recognized that every opportunity he has been fortunate enough to seize in his life is owing to the education he received and in his new year’s speech touted education as ‘the single most important reason why I came into politics: to give every child the highest possible standard of education’.
If we translated this globally, imagine the world we could be living in? Less death, disease, and disaster – more prosperity, peace, innovation, and a fair and just society. Isn’t that what we want for every child?
This isn’t a pipedream. This is an achievable goal, if we work in partnership, protect and increase financing to education, and show the same determination and resilience we would if a child was standing right in front of us desperately asking us to make their simple dream come true – to have a quality education and learn.
Every political party in the UK can and must get behind this urgent goal; to turn the tide on the learning crisis and ensure we help create a legacy we can stand behind and be proud of.
We are at the halfway point to the 2030 deadline to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all - and things are only getting worse. That’s why we need unity and shared determination, now.
We are calling on every political party to demonstrate their support for Sustainable Development Goal 4 by including a commitment in their Manifestos to the protection and increase of financing to global education, including ensuring a fully funded Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW).
Yours, with fresh hope,
Signed by:
- Michelle Kafe, GPE Youth Leader UK
- Zubair Junjunia, GPE Youth Leader UK
- Heela Yoon, GPE Youth Leader UK, United Nations SDG Young Leader and Founder of Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization
- Vee Kativhu, GPE Youth Leader UK, United Nations SDG Young Leader and Founder of Empowered by Vee
- Asimawu Tahiru, GPE Youth Leader Ghana
- Clement Kaponda, GPE Youth Leader Zambia
- Oleksii Druz, GPE Youth Leader Ukraine
- Rosalie Schoemaker, GPE Youth Leader Netherlands
- Motunrayo Fatoke, GPE Youth Leader Nigeria
- Temilade Salami, GPE Youth Leader Nigeria
- Dhieu Mayom Deng, GPE Youth Leader Canada
- Salha Aziz, GPE Youth Leader Tanzania
- Anzal Abbas Jaffar, GPE Youth Leader Pakistan
- Francine Niyomuhoza, GPE Youth Leader Malawi
- Ngimou Victorine Nchokuno, GPE Youth Leader Cameroon
- Alisha Qamar, GPE Youth Leader Germany
- Amani Esperance, GPE Youth Leader Burundi
- Valentine Mugun, GPE Youth Leader Kenya
- Seme Luate Cons Lomoro, GPE Youth Leader South Sudan
- Ayesha Siddika, GPE Youth Leader Bangladesh
- Jonatan Balle Svendsen, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Selina Nkoile, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Maryam and Nivaal Rehman, GPE Youth Leaders Alumni
- Sikemi Okunrinboye, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Dương Phương Anh, GPE youth leader Alumni
- Diana Ayala, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Tomoe Nakano, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Ranja Diab, GPE Youth Leader Alumni
- Ayesha Farah, Youth Leader UK
- Mukhtar Halilu, GPE Youth Leader, Nigeria
- Ruszlan Biwoino, Youth Leader Germany
- Martine Billing, Youth Leader Norway
- Josephine Kamara, Youth Leader Sierra Leone
- Cynthia Nyongesa, Youth Leader Kenya
- Zoé Elkær Nicot, Youth Leader Denmark
- Shaikha Khalid Al-Shaibi, Youth Leader Qatar
- Inas El Aidi, Youth Leader France
- Lilia Touil, Youth Leader France
- Karen Kuntze, Youth Leader Germany
- Armel Azihar Sly-vania, GPE Youth Leader Comoros
- Melanie Graves, Youth4EIE Global Panelist UK
- Sarah Amu, Youth4EiE Global Panelist, UK
- Michelle Chikurunhe, Youth4EIE Global Panelist Zimbabwe
- Tabeth Chingwaru, Youth4EIE Global Panelist Zimbabwe
- Damien Baraka, Youth4EiE Global Panelist Malawi
- Angela Abeziera, Youth4EIE Global Panelist, Malawi
- Nataly Rivas, Youth4EIE Global Panelist, Ecuador
- Adaeze Ulebor, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board member
- William Grunstein, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Eve Grant, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Roisin Cunningham, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Arunima Karve, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Hermione Kasirye, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Olga Mitala, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
- Tony Silas, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Nigeria
- Zigwai Tagwai, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Nigeria
- Zanna Samaila, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Nigeria
- Eniola Oladipo, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Nigeria
- Situma Desmond, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Belgium
- Manuel Frank, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Germany
- Jonas Nitschke, ONE Campaign Youth Champion, Germany
- Luna Mercuri, ONE Youth Ambassador, Italy
- Emily Davies, Save the Children UK, Youth Advisory Board Member
Endorsed by:
- Sarah Sands, British Author and Journalist
- Mark East, Senior Director - EMEA Regional Business Leader, Microsoft
- Larry Cooley, President of the Society for International Development
- John Kirkland OBE, Chair, Diversity in Development
- Jo Owen, Multi Award-Winning Business Author
- David Armstrong, Partner, PWC
- Kyle Whitehill, Chief Executive Officer, Avanti Communications
- Debbie Mavis, Group HR Director, Avanti Communications
- Cheriece Hylton, British Athlete
- Isaac Chamberlain, British Professional Boxer
- Hannah Mills OBE, British Competitive Sailor
- Marlie Packer, Women’s England Rugby Team
- Eilish McColgan, Scottish Long Distance Runner
- Ellie Aldridge, World Cup Medalist Kite Surfer
- Sophie Coldwell, Team England and World Triathlete
- Hannah Rankin, WBA Female Super-welterweight, Boxer
- Sedem Ama, Professional British Boxer
- Collins Injera, Kenyan National Rugby Team
- Gwen Hines, CEO, Save the Children UK
- George Graham, Chief Executive, Humanity & Inclusion UK
- Girish Menon, CEO, StiR Education
- Celia Dignan, (Interim) Chair, Send My Friend to School Coalition, UK
- Kitty Arie, CEO, RESULTS UK
- Mark Sheard, CEO, World Vision UK
- Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage
- Catherine Gladwell, Chief Executive, Refugee Education UK
- David Hallow, Research Director, EdTech Hub
- Dr Kevin Martin, Centre Manager, Digital Education Futures Initiative, Hughes Hall University of Cambridge
- Luisa Edves, Director of Education and Skills, British Expertise International
- Pratik Dattani, Board Member, Bridge India
- Alex Beard, Author and Broadcaster
- Hoda Ali, Human Rights Activist and Co-Founder of the Vavengers
- Dr Nicholas Westcott CMG, Director, Royal African Society
- Dr Craig Walker, Professor, The Open University
- Pauline Rose, Director, REAL Centre, University of Cambridge
- Rob Williams, CEO, War Child UK