Public education on Public Education: Local and Global Advocacy for Public Education; Kam Join Wi
By Dr. David Sengeh, Freetown, Sierra Leone
In Sierra Leone, we are clear-eyed about the impact of education on national development. It’s an investment you won’t see today, but it’s the only way we can develop as a nation. The teachers of the future are students today. The engineers, clerks, police officers, politicians, nurses... are all students today.
Next time someone comes to campaign to you for political office, your first question should be, what’s your vision for the education of our children?
This is something I believed even before I joined the government and something I asked President Bio many years before he ran for office. I knew his vision for education, and that’s why I joined his government. That’s why I remain firmly behind his vision for Sierra Leone.
I am serious; someone wants to be a Chief in your village? What’s her vision for transforming education? Want to be an MP? How will he advocate for teachers? Oh, you want to be a President? How will you finance public education?
I do this everywhere: in Cabinet, I am always asking for more money. With President Bio, he’s always helping find more money for us. On the Global level, we always advocate for more.
I occupy many roles globally: co-chair of UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit Advisory; co-chair UNESCO High-Level Steering Committee of SDG4; Chair of GEM Report; Executive Committee of GPE Board; but they are all related. My job is all towards ensuring that every child has access to quality education no matter who he or she is or where she comes from. And to do that, we must transform education at all levels: household, community, national, and global.
What are you doing today to ensure our world is healthier, more peaceful, and more equitable?
How are you transforming education today?
Make a commitment, now.
It was a great session in Dubai today at the World Government Summit with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and Dubai Cares CEO Tariq Al Gurg and others. I love my role as a Global Education advocate while showing the progress we are making locally in Sierra Leone.
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