To The President of the Republic of Uganda
H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

RE: Invitation letter to formulate Uganda’s National Statement of Commitment to attend and participate in the Transforming Education Summit scheduled to take place on 19 September 2022 in New York, USA.

Dear Mr. Yoweri Museveni,

The purpose of this letter is to request you to formulate Uganda’s Statement of Commitment to the Transforming Education Summit. This Summit offers a chance for us to redesign our education systems so that they are fit for a rapidly evolving 21^st century world, but to be truly transformative, this transformation shall be shaped and led by children and young people. 

My Name is Franco Rashid, a Ugandan citizen. I am a member of the Transforming Education Action Group, which is supported by the United Nations Foundation under the Unlock the Future Coalition.

As part of this group, we have prepared to engage at the Summit and discussed together what transformations we would like to see in our education systems. They are summarised in the submission we sent to the Deputy Secretary-General, which include:

• Education systems that prepare young people for life and work
• Recognition of non-formal education
• Forging strong partnerships for a strong education system
• Provide education that is gender transformative
• Ensure sustainable funding and investment

We focus these goals on the needs of young people and children, also based on previous commitments of the international community, trusting in their capacity to take action and make this transformation. These are manifested, for example, in:

The UN General Assembly’s resolution, adopted by consensus, entitled ‘Education for Sustainable Development in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. (19 December 2019)

The need to strengthen the education system and introduce multiple technologies in order to achieve our vision 2040, and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, on quality education

Both the Millennium Development Goal 2 in achieving universal primary education by 2015 and the goal of the Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels of education by 2015. 

The need to strengthen the education system and introduce multiple technologies in order to achieve our vision 2040, and the UN sustainable development goal number 4, on. quality education;

The concern with the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the landlocked East African country of Uganda during the COVID-related restrictions

And the recognition that pre-emptive measures have to be taken in order to avoid greater hardship for humanity and nature, which includes the following measures:

• Free primary and secondary education
• Equal access to quality pre-primary education
• Equal access to affordable technical, vocational, and higher education 
• Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success
• Eliminate all discrimination in education
• Universal literacy and numeracy
• Education for sustainable development and global citizenship

Therefore, I urge you, president of the republic of Uganda, together with the ministry of education and sports, to issue the statement of commitment by August 2022, including:

Financial support to the research and development of education-related technology in order to ensure quality education in Uganda.

More economic investment in response to education needs in the country, to support the establishment of protective and transformative ways to strengthen the education system in Uganda.

The establishment of a national and international legal, social framework to assure the quality education system of the country and remove the barriers to access to a quality education in Uganda, including dealing with the burden of teenage pregnancy, school dropout, unemployment, and the financial costs resulting from the damage caused by education-related challenges.

The distribution of learning materials, improvement of infrastructure, and introduction of new technology and establishment of innovative strategies will be guided by the ministry.

Uganda’s commitment to the national and global responsibility of protecting and maintaining the rights of the young people’s access to a quality education that are existentially threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, inadequate investment in the education system.

I  look forward to seeing Uganda among the countries who will lead the effort in transforming education for the better and stay at your service to any support you may request.

Franco Rashid