#LetMeLearn campaign is growing rapidly into a global movement
Global Youth Ambassadors, Let me learn
The campaign is mobilising young people to tell world leaders at a historic summit that they must act urgently to deliver quality education to every child.
The #LetMeLearn campaign launched by Theirworld and partners this week has been embraced by youth activists, civil society organisations, celebrities and the United Nations – and we’ve only just got started.
#LetMeLearn is mobilising young people to send a passionate message to world leaders that they must act urgently to deliver quality education to every child. The call comes ahead of the historic Transforming Education Summit, held during next month’s United Nations General Assembly, and against the backdrop of 260 million children out of school and millions more not learning the basic skills.
The campaign is growing rapidly into a powerful global movement. It has already been backed by the UN, UNICEF, the Global Partnership for Education, the action platform Global Citizen and non-profit organisations including Plan International, Hello World and ITA in Pakistan. Celebrities including Stephen Fry and Matt Lucas have also shown their support on social media.
Youth campaigners, including Theirworld’s Global Youth Ambassadors (GYAs), are leading the way on #LetMeLearn. It calls on international decision-makers, who will be discussing budgets and priorities at the summit, to listen to the voices and experiences of young people.
They’ve been recording passionate messages to share on social media. Gunchaa Shandilya, an 18-year-old GYA from India, said: “I feel education is as important as eating food, drinking water and sustaining yourself. Every child deserves education.”
Watch her video below.
"I feel education is as important as eating food, drinking water…"#GlobalYouthAmbassador Gunchaa Shandilya 🇮🇳 tells world leaders attending @transformingedu #LetMeLearn
Agree? Add your name and country flag 🏳️ below! pic.twitter.com/cankDCQH1O
— Theirworld (@theirworld) August 2, 2022
GYA Abdulbaki Ahmad, 25, from Nigeria said: “Education is not an option or an advantage or even a luxury. It’s a fundamental right of every child.”
Watch another video from GYA Aksheyaa Akilan below.
Aksheyaa Akilan from India 🇮🇳, has learning disabilities.
She believes that world leaders attending #TransformingEducation summit need to look at how education systems are exclusionary and outdated #LetMeLearn#DisabilityRights #DisabilityPride pic.twitter.com/Mt423F4Eqd
— Theirworld (@theirworld) August 4, 2022
Education is in crisis, with 260 million children not in school – the majority of them girls – even before the pandemic. In rich and poor countries alike, millions more are in school but let down by a lack of support for teachers, outdated curriculum and a lack of digital connectivity. #LetMeLearn aims to address that by putting the voices, concerns and ideas of young people front and centre on the world stage.
Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy General-Secretary, tweeted: “It’s time to end learning gaps and create equal learning opportunities. #TransformingEducation requires leaders to listen to young people demanding: #LetMeLearn.”
UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake said: “Being included in education decision-making is a fundamental right for all young people.” She is leading the process for a Youth Declaration to be presented to the Transforming Education Summit.
The launch of the campaign has received media coverage in many countries. In the United Kingdom, Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown wrote an opinion piece for the I, in which she said: “Just as young voices have been heard on the climate debate, they should be treated as the real experts on how their education is shaped.”
Among other social media messages using the #LetMeLearn hashtag were:
ITA: “We share this in solidarity with the hundreds of millions of young people left out of school and not learning. Young people are demanding #LetMeLearn.”
This is Fatima Jaffar from #ITACEC sending a message to world leaders attending the #TransformingEducation Summit at the @UN We share this in solidarity with the hundreds of millions of young people left out of school and not learning!#LetMeLearn @theirworld #TES2022 Fatima 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/oSpkDo16Mi
— Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) (@itacecorg) August 3, 2022
Save the Children UN: “Children must have the opportunity to participate in & be heard at the @TransformingeduSummit.”
Education Commission: “Next month, world leaders will meet @UN #TransformingEducation summit in New York. Young people have a message for their leaders: #LetMeLearn. It is time for leaders to take this demand seriously.”
Hello World: “Hello World has joined the #LetMeLearn campaign which launches today ahead of the Transforming Education Summit in September. #LetMeLearn is a platform to give young people the opportunity to share their demands and amplify their voices with world leaders.”
BRAC Tanzania: “We share this in solidarity with the hundreds of millions of young people left out of school and not learning. Young people are demanding #LetMeLearn.”
The #LetMeLearn campaign was launched as a Theirworld poll of 10,000 young people in 10 countries showed that education systems are failing a generation and leaving them unprepared for the future.
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