Open letter from young people: Towards transformative education

Dear Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean,

We, the young people of the region, are reaching out to you because we know that the current educational crisis is jeopardizing the future and right to education of children, adolescents and young people. However, being here at this ministerial meeting sets a fundamental precedent, as we will be able to share experiences, challenges and propose solutions that will directly impact our lives. We recognize the historic importance of this meeting in giving us a space to be heard. However, we want to emphasize that listening to our perspectives should be the norm and not an exceptional gesture. We appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the dialogue.

This is how as a group of youth organizations from the region, we came together with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), created an advisory group, and arranged focus group with students in our region on how we should transform education. Today, we present to you our proposals.

This letter includes seven priorities that, as young people and students, we believe are essential to address in order to transform education. Additionally, we present a series of fundamental proposals on the central themes to be discussed at the ministerial forum on ‘Learning Recovery, financing of education and educational transformation’.

We understand that a letter alone will not generate major transformations in our education systems; it is political will and collaborative work that drives significant change.

We rely on you to translate these transformations into national and regional actions and policies on education, responding to the problems that jeopardize the education of children, adolescents and young people.

Therefore, we urge you to consider our recommendations and hope that this letter will mobilize the creation of spaces for youth participation and advocacy at the national and regional levels.

Together, we can shape the policies that will directly impact us and forge the sort of transformative education that we are committed to advocating and building together.

Sincerely,

The youth participants of the consultation process within the framework of Extraordinary Regional Meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean.