The world cannot afford to short-change education. Something has to change.

Education is about more than knowledge and skills.

Education is about the future. Of children and young people. Of economies. Of our planet. And the future of our relations with one another.

Given the stakes, the world cannot afford to short-change education.

But by nearly every measure, that is exactly what we are doing.

84 million children are likely to remain out of school by 2030. 70% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read a basic text by age 10.

Something has to change.

Ahead of September’s Summit of the Future and November’s Global Education Meeting, I have put forward a four-point plan to end the global education crisis.

First — closing the financing gap.

Leaders must meet, and where possible, exceed the international benchmark of dedicating 15% of domestic revenue and 4% of GDP to education. 

Donors must increase their development spending on education, including as part of the World Bank’s International Development Association’s replenishment.

The IMF and other multilateral development banks should protect education spending in countries that are in debt distress.

And the global financial architecture must be reformed so developing countries can access adequate financing to achieve their development goals, including education.

Second — closing the access gap.

Every child and young person deserves an education.

Whether students are in war zones or disaster areas. Whether they are

are girls, persons with disabilities, or part of other marginalized groups.

Or they are victims of self-defeating decrees such as those in Afghanistan banning young women from secondary and tertiary education.

Or they are children coming under direct attack in schools themselves — a shocking and all-too-common occurrence that must never happen, anywhere.

We must fully invest in programmes, in safe environments and in educational infrastructure that can reach all children with the learning and skills they need and deserve.

Third — supporting teachers.

We face a dramatic shortage of teachers — an estimated 44 million worldwide. Millions of teachers lack the support, tools and continuous training they need. 

Following the Transforming Education Summit, the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession has developed concrete recommendations to ensure that every learner has access to a professionally trained, qualified and well-supported teacher.

I welcome the efforts of UNESCO and ILO to translate these recommendations into a new global standard on the Status of Teachers.

I call on all countries, teachers’ unions and partners to join forces to bring these recommendations to life in classrooms around the world.

Fourth — rethinking education systems.

We must rethink what students are learning — with a strong focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as skills in green and digital technology.

We must rethink how students are learning — including harnessing digital technology to improve the learning and teaching experience and to improve access for students in remote or inaccessible areas. 

And we must rethink when students are learning — to reconfigure education systems so people can learn and re-skill throughout their lifetimes.

Education is the single-most important investment any country can make. Let’s support the dreams, ambitions and talents of every person.