South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a rallying cry for a complete transformation in global education financing, using his platform at the UNESCO headquarters to declare that quality learning must remain a universal public good rather than an exclusive commodity.
Speaking on Friday during the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee Leaders Group Meeting, Ramaphosa co-chaired the critical session alongside the UNESCO Director-General. He positioned education as the ultimate catalyst for the broader Sustainable Development Goals, arguing that it is the fundamental bedrock required to unlock human potential and realize the full scope of Agenda 2030.
“SDG 4 occupies a unique position in that it is the bedrock and the enabler of the other SDGs,” Ramaphosa stated. “It is a catalyst for expanding human capability, unlocking opportunity, and delivering progress across the full ambition of Agenda 2030.”
Navigating Global Crises Through Strategic Pillars
Against a backdrop of compounding global crises—including climate change, entrenched poverty, pandemics, inequality, and geopolitical conflicts, the President outlined a three-pronged strategy to build societal resilience. He noted that inclusive learning is the primary mechanism for fostering sustainable communities in the face of these disruptions.
This strategic roadmap prioritizes foundational and lifelong learning, the empowerment of the teaching profession, and an inclusive digital transformation.
“Strong literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills are the scaffolding that holds up the educational journey,” Ramaphosa explained, noting that learning environments thrive only when educators are fully capacitated and resourced. Furthermore, he labeled digital integration in classrooms as an absolute necessity, stating, “Digital transformation in education is a non-negotiable if we are to adequately prepare today’s learners for the workplaces, economies and societies of the future.”
Defending Education as a Public Good
A major focal point of the address was the urgent need to protect the integrity of education systems. Ramaphosa fiercely defended learning as both a fundamental human right and a public good that must be shielded from commercialization.
“As such, it must be safeguarded against commodification, and from becoming a privilege that excludes millions of people on account of geography, age, income, gender or personal circumstances,” he urged. “This is what leaving no-one behind means.”
To achieve this, the President stressed that the world must “fix the way it is financed.” He praised the recently endorsed Sustainable Financing Pathways—a collaborative effort by the World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO, the Global Partnership for Education, and G7 nations. Describing it as “a country-owned blueprint that moves us away from fragmented aid to credible, long-term fiscal frameworks,” he outlined a new era of educational funding.
To bridge the massive funding deficit, Ramaphosa advocated for leveraging domestic resources, syncing private and concessional capital with state priorities, and deploying creative tools like debt-for-education swaps. However, he did not shy away from global shortcomings, cautioning that systemic corruption, financial mismanagement, and inadequate planning are actively draining vital funds away from classrooms.
“We know that in far too many instances globally, scarce financial resources that could be invested in education are being lost or whittled away due to mismanagement, corruption and poor planning,” he warned.
Amplifying Youth Voices for the Post-2030 Era
Looking ahead to the post-2030 educational landscape, Ramaphosa highlighted that the next phase of global policy is being heavily influenced by the youth themselves. He cited massive global consultations involving 20,000 young individuals across 95 nations.
These dialogues have surfaced pressing demands for better educational access, integrated mental health support, adaptable learning routes, and genuine youth involvement in governance.
“Resilience, financing and the post-2030 agenda are streams travelling towards one destination, namely; resilient education systems that anticipate disruption, that adapt with equity, and that are ultimately transformative,” he noted.
A Call for Tangible Action
Concluding his address, the President challenged the international community to move from pledges to tangible execution. He instructed Member States to weave risk-aware policies into all sectoral plans, urged development partners to back existing country-led investment strategies instead of launching redundant projects, and demanded that gender-responsive planning become standard practice.
“The responsibility now falls to each of us,” Ramaphosa asserted, emphasizing that young people must be treated as “co-creators and not only beneficiaries.”
The high-level UNESCO engagements cap off a broader official French tour for Ramaphosa, which also features critical bilateral discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron.