RAMAPHOSA CALLS FOR BOLD SYSTEM-WIDE REFORM AT GLOBAL EDUCATION SUMMIT IN PARIS
PARIS, FRANCE – Delivering a keynote address at the UNESCO Headquarters, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on global leaders to pivot from policy promises to aggressive implementation as the international community reviews its progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
Speaking at the Transforming Education Summit (TES Plus 4), Ramaphosa emphasized that with the 2030 global education deadline rapidly approaching, the time for incremental adjustments has passed.
Global Success Stories and South Africa's Milestones
Ramaphosa anchored his address by invoking the words of democratic South Africa’s founding father, Nelson Mandela, who famously declared education the most powerful weapon to change the world. To illustrate this transformative capacity, the President highlighted major developmental leaps across several nations:
Rwanda: Rapidly shifting into one of Africa’s fastest-growing knowledge economies through targeted education investment.
China: Moving from a predominantly agrarian society to the world’s second-largest economy, lifting over 800 million citizens out of poverty.
India: Generating a world-class, highly sought-after technological and digital workforce.
Reflecting on South Africa, Ramaphosa celebrated the country's recent achievement of the highest school-leaving certificate (Matric) pass rate in its democratic history. Notably, the majority of learners qualifying for university admission came from impoverished communities, gaining access to free higher education at universities and TVET colleges—opportunities entirely denied to previous generations under apartheid.
Confronting Systemic Vulnerabilities
Despite post-pandemic recovery efforts since the initial 2022 summit, the President warned that global educational infrastructure remains highly vulnerable to tightening fiscal constraints, conflict, and climate shocks. He noted that a transparent assessment of country commitments reveals where progress has stalled, demanding that nations confront uncomfortable truths rather than rely on noble rhetoric.
A Vision for Adaptive Education: "Resilience means building education systems that are not fragile branches bending in the wind, but sturdy forests with deep roots and the capacity to regenerate." — President Cyril Ramaphosa
Core Pillars of the Transformation Agenda
Ramaphosa outlined key systemic shifts that must occur to achieve genuine, resilient transformation:
Elevating the Teaching Profession: Real reform is impossible without directly addressing inadequate teacher compensation, excessive classroom sizes, poor professional development, and the escalating mental health pressures impacting both educators and students.
Prioritizing Equity and Inclusion: Policy interventions must actively include female learners, individuals living with disabilities, and marginalized rural or poor communities to prevent reforms from simply replicating historical inequalities.
Harnessing Future Skills: Systems must adapt instantly to the unfolding technological revolution to ensure young people are equipped for a fast-changing global marketplace.
A Call for Global Accountability
Reflecting on South Africa's leadership, Ramaphosa encouraged global delegates to align TES Plus 4 objectives with the foundational literacy and cross-border skills recognition frameworks championed during South Africa's G20 Presidency.
Closing his address, the President issued a direct challenge to the international community to move decisively from statements to accountability, stating that every dollar spent on quality education returns exponentially in social stability, human dignity, and economic growth.
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