Addis Ababa, July 1, 2022 (Walta) – President Sahlework Zewde, Chair of the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education spoke at the opening session of the Transforming Education Summit (TES) pre-summit at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on June 29th, 2022.
It was attended by more than 140 ministers and vice-ministers of Education. The Pre-summit offered an opportunity for the President and the 17 commission members to make contributions to the September 19 summit convened by the UN Secretary-General.
She emphasized that “today more than ever, education must help transform the world and, to build a new social contract for education, we need to challenge ourselves to think and do differently”.
President Sahle-Work called for action to make education space of equal opportunity and shared abundance.
“Education needs curricula that focus more on connections than categories. Teachers should be supported to create transformative education by investing in teaching that builds cooperation and solidarity.” She further called on all stakeholders to ensure that the digital connects us to each other and to the world.
Sahle-Work further stressed a need to strengthen education as a global common good by ensuring more equitable cooperation within and across countries.
The President also reconvened the International Commission on the 28th which endorsed a statement to inform a new social contract for education.