speech on world education day

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International Day of Education – Message From the Un Secretary-general

Today we celebrate the first International Day of Education.

Education transforms lives. As United Nations Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai once said: “one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world”. Nelson Mandela rightly called education “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Long before I served at the United Nations or held public office in my own country, I was a teacher. In the slums of Lisbon, I saw that education is an engine for poverty eradication and a force for peace.

Today, education is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We need education to reduce inequalities and improve health. We need education to achieve gender equality and eliminate child marriage. We need education to protect our planet’s resources. And we need education to fight hate speech, xenophobia and intolerance, and to nurture global citizenship.

Yet at least 262 million children, adolescents and youth are out of school, most of them girls.  Millions more who attend school are not mastering the basics.

This is a violation of their human right to education. The world cannot afford a generation of children and young people who lack the skills they need to compete in the 21st century economy, nor can we afford to leave behind half of humanity.

We must do far more to advance Sustainable Development Goal 4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Education can also break and reverse cycles of intergenerational poverty. Studies show that if all girls and boys complete secondary education, 420 million people could be lifted out of poverty.

Let us prioritize education as a public good; support it with cooperation, partnerships and funding; and recognize that leaving no one behind starts with education.

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International Day of Education 2023: Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards the Global Goals

Cities are standard-bearers in the fight for universal education

According to the latest data, an estimated 244 million children and youth worldwide are not in school, 763 million young people and adults are illiterate, and fewer than 5 per cent of the population aged 15-plus participate in adult education in almost one-third of countries across the globe. Their right to education is being violated.

To mark this year’s International Day of Education on 24 January, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is calling on the international community to increase efforts to promote a universal right to education, regardless of age, background or geographical location.

With over half of humanity currently living in cities and an estimated two-thirds of the population expected to reside in urban areas by 2050, local communities are key to ensuring lifelong learning opportunities are available to all by 2030.

As UIL Director David Atchoarena notes, 'Against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis, lifelong learning must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Only lifelong education, starting in the earliest years in life, can break the cycle of poverty, improve health outcomes, prepare people for decent jobs with opportunities to reskill and upskill, and mitigate climate change. We must drastically scale-up our efforts and translate commitments into actions! UNESCO learning cities across the globe prove we can make this happen.'  

Investing in people at the local level

In line with this year’s International Day of Education theme, ‘Invest in people; prioritize education’, 294 UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) have positioned lifelong learning at the top of their agendas, thereby advancing inclusive learning from early childhood to the third age. By mobilizing resources across diverse sectors to live up to the international commitment of providing everyone with an opportunity to learn throughout life, UNESCO GNLC members celebrate lifelong learning and demonstrate how local communities fulfil the global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. To mark this year’s International Day of Education, UNESCO learning cities from around the world will host local events to celebrate the power of lifelong learning. Among the many activities that are planned, the City of Vinh (Viet Nam) will host a writing competition on the benefits of lifelong learning; the mayors of the Irish network of learning cities will present their lifelong learning activities in a joint message to the wider public; learners and educators from Kilifi County (Kenya) will raise their hands to extol learning across the entire lifespan; La Matanza County (Argentina) will showcase its technology trainings for older adults; and the Municipality of Elefsina (Greece) will present its lifelong learning programmes for local people of all ages. 

Watch messages from UNESCO learning cities

Background on International Day of Education

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as the  International Day of Education  in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.  

Background on the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) is an international, policy-oriented network providing inspiration, know-how and best practice. Members benefit from the sharing of lifelong learning policies and practices, the production and exchange of knowledge on key challenges and solutions, capacity-building and training initiatives, and participation in global events such as the International Conference on Learning Cities.

Further information

• International Day of Education website
• Website of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

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Speech on Education and its Importance for Students

Speech on importance of education for students.

Good Morning to one and all present here! Today I am here to deliver a speech about education. It is usually a belief that education is the foundation for all-round development. Life is based on development and that developing and growing is life. If we describe this view into the perspective of education, we can sum up that education is the all-round development of the individual’s personality. Thus, education is nothing but all-round development of the individual’s personality. Education is a process of man-making. Hence, education is necessary for all.

Importance of Education

As per the report of the Kothari Commission, “the destiny of India is being shaped in its classrooms.” Education ingrain civic and social responsibility among everyone. India is a land of diversities. Therefore, in order to bring unity, education is a means for emotional integration. We cannot do without any kind of education. Education is an essential aspect of human development. Education is a means of achieving a world of peace, justice, freedom, and equality for all. Thus, education is extremely necessary for all. No good life is possible without education.

It indorses the intelligence of human beings, develops his skill, and enables him to be industrious. It ensures his progress. Education also channelizes the undeveloped capacities, attitude, interest, urges and needs of the individual into desirable channels. The individual can adjust and modify his environment with the help of education as per his need.

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Problems and Prospects

In a democratic country, education is necessary for all its citizens. Unless all the citizens get education, democratic machinery cannot work well. So we may emphasize that the problem of equality of educational opportunities in Indian. This situation is a very formidable one.

Our education system is at cross-roads. The Indian constitution enacted that there should be a universalization of primary education. In the order of the constitution, it was indicated that compulsory education must be for all children up to the age of 14. The universalization of elementary education has been implemented as a national goal. ‘Education for all’ is now an international goal.

The main problems are finances. Rural-urban disparity due to illiteracy. Women’s education, economic conditions of backward communities and non-availability of equipment are some other major problems.

Strategies and efforts at the national and international level

Universal elementary education has run the formulation of the project “education for all”. The provision of article 45 of the Indian constitution is a noble determination for the universalization of elementary education. Big efforts have been made to reach the goal of providing elementary education to every child of the country through, universal enrolment, universal provision, and universal retention.

Our constitution is making arrangements for free and compulsory education with the right of minorities to establish educational institutions. As well as there are education for weaker sections, secular education, women’s education, instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage, etc. These constitutional provisions are nothing but our effort to achieve the target of the project “Education for all”.

Thus, in the end, we find that education is a significant factor for achieving success, building characters, and for living a wholesome and happy life. True education always humanizes the person. In this reference, “Education for all” has become an international goal for both developed and developing countries.

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International Day of Education 2024: Learning for Lasting Peace

(Reposted from: UNESCO )

The sixth International Day of Education will be celebrated on 24 January 2024 under the theme “ learning for lasting peace ”.  The world is seeing a surge of violent conflicts paralleled by an alarming rise of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech. The impact of this violence transcends any boundary based on geography, gender, race, religion, politics, offline and online. An active commitment to peace is more urgent today than ever: Education is central to this endeavor, as underlined by the  UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development . Learning for peace must be transformative, and help empower learners with the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes and skills and behaviours to become agents of peace in their communities.

The International Day of Education 2024 aims to:

• Mobilize Member States and partners to maintain education at the top of the political agenda and deliver on their TES and Education 2030 commitments;
• Generate visibility at the local and global levels on the importance of education in strengthening and sustaining peace, as outlined in SDG4 Target 4.7, and other global education efforts;
• Advocate for higher levels of domestic and international financing for education in general, and education for peace in particular, especially through innovative and multistakeholder mechanisms and partnerships;
• Highlight and celebrate the peacemaking role of youth and educators in and through education towards just, inclusive and peaceful societies;
• Provide a platform to discuss priorities and challenges for education for peace in contexts of increased protracted global crisis and conflicts;
• Rally influencers and the wider civil society to push forward the movement to bring education into the center of local, national, regional and global peacebuilding efforts;
• Raise awareness for effective approaches in education for peace and mobilize commitment for their implementation.

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Dedicated to the UNESCO International Day of Education 2024 (on 24 January 2024)

Man-Making Universal Education for Justice and Peace EDUCATION, 31 Jan 2022 Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service https://www.transcend.org/tms/2022/01/man-making-universal-education-for-justice-and-peace/

UCN News Channel A Dialogue on Universal Peace Education By Surya Nath Prasad, Ph. D. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS10fxIuvik

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Speech on World Students’ Day

World Students’ Day is a special occasion celebrated worldwide. It honors the birthday of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a beloved scientist and former President of India. This day recognizes his love for students and passion for education. You might know it as a day to celebrate your role as a student and the importance of education in shaping our future.

1-minute Speech on World Students’ Day

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, today we gather to celebrate World Students’ Day. Why do we honor students, you ask? Because you, the students, are the builders of tomorrow. With your dreams, your hard work, and your dedication, you have the power to shape the world.

October 15th, the birthday of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is chosen as World Students’ Day. He was a great scientist and an excellent teacher. More than that, he was a friend to students. He believed in the magic of dreams and the power of hard work. Today, we remember him and celebrate his life.

Being a student is not just about reading books, memorizing facts, or passing exams. It’s about learning, growing, and discovering. It’s about asking questions, seeking answers, and never stopping. It’s about dreaming big and working hard to make those dreams come true.

But remember, every student is unique. Some of you may love math, some may love art, others may love sports. And that’s okay. The world needs all kinds of minds and talents. So, be proud of who you are and what you love.

Lastly, let’s not forget that learning is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t stop when you leave school or university. Every day is a chance to learn something new, to grow, and to become a better person.

So, let’s celebrate this day with joy and enthusiasm. Let’s dream big, work hard, and never stop learning. Happy World Students’ Day to you all!

2-minute Speech on World Students’ Day

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for being here today. We are here to celebrate World Students’ Day, a day dedicated to students all around the globe. This day makes us realize how students are not just individuals studying in classrooms but mighty architects of the future.

World Students’ Day is celebrated on October 15th. Why this date? Because it’s the birthday of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a great scientist who was also the President of India. People loved him for his simple life and the way he encouraged students. He believed that students can change the world.

Students are the backbone of any society. They are the people who will one day become leaders, scientists, doctors, teachers, and much more. They are the ones who will solve our problems, make our lives better, and take our world forward. So, it’s important to give them the right education, guidance, and support.

World Students’ Day is a reminder of how important students are. It’s a day to celebrate their hard work, their dreams, and their potential. It’s a day to say “thank you” to students for their efforts and to encourage them to keep learning, keep dreaming, and keep working hard.

But World Students’ Day is not just about celebrating students. It’s also about thinking of ways to make education better for them. Every student should have the chance to learn and grow, no matter where they come from or how much money their family has. That’s why we need to keep working to make sure all students can go to school, have good teachers, and get the help they need to succeed.

World Students’ Day is also about unity. Students from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds are all part of a global community. They all share the same dreams and face the same challenges. By celebrating this day, we are saying that we stand together, that we support each other, and that we believe in each other.

So, let’s celebrate World Students’ Day with joy and enthusiasm. Let’s remember the hard work and dedication of students. Let’s commit to giving them the support and opportunities they need. And let’s remember that by helping students, we are helping our world.

In conclusion, World Students’ Day is a day of celebration, reflection, and action. It’s a day to acknowledge the role of students in shaping our future, to think about how we can support them, and to stand together as a global community. So, let’s celebrate it with pride and make a promise to do our best for our students, because they are our future.

Thank you for being here today, and happy World Students’ Day to all!

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The power of education

• Save the Children

Speech given by Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the Education World Forum on 23 January 2017

Education is the most empowering force in the world. It creates knowledge, builds confidence, and breaks down barriers to opportunity.

For children, it is their key to open the door to a better life.

However, it is a sad reality of our world today that millions of children will never receive this key.

They are destined to stay locked in cycles of disadvantage and poverty.

I think Malala described this heart-wrenching situation best when she said:

“In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It’s their normal life. But in other parts of the world, we are starving for education … its like a precious gift. Its like a diamond”.

This cannot continue.

All children deserve to receive the ‘precious gift’ of education. In fact, we have promised to give it to them. It is time to deliver.

Under the Sustainable Development Goals, the blue print for progress the whole world has agreed, we are committed to give all children an inclusive and quality education by 2030.

To get the 263 million children currently out of school, back in.

To make sure the 130 million children currently reaching Grade 4 without learning basic reading and maths skills, become masters of both.

To stop girls being excluded, or married off.

Right now, one girl under 15 is married every 7 seconds. They should be starting a new year of school, not starting a new life of disadvantage.

I know this sounds a bit bleak. But we have to face up to the fact that we are in the midst of an education crisis and are running well behind on our promise to the world’s children.

I have just returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos where I gave world leaders this same message.

However, instead of acting fast to address this crisis, our efforts are slowing down. Development dollars spent on education have declined in the past decade — from 13 per cent to 10 per cent since 2002.

The challenge is also not getting any easier. Two billion jobs will be lost to automation by 2050. Access to quality education will therefore be even more critical to prepare young people for the challenges of a changing world.

If we continue with our glacial pace of action, up to half of the world’s 1.6 billion children will still be out of school or failing to learn by 2030, and we would need an extra 50 years to reach our global education goals.

Yet, as we face up to this crisis, we should not be tempted to despair.

We can turn things around if we are prepared to step up now.

I am proud to be part of group doing just that, the Education Commission. We are a group of government, business and cultural leaders who have produced a roadmap for how we can live up to the education promise we have made under the global goals.

A vision for how to create a Learning Generation.

It will not be easy to achieve. But, it can be done.

We know this is possible because a quarter of the world’s countries are already on the right path.

This top 25 per cent are already delivering. They are improving their education systems fast and equipping their children with the skills they need for the future.

What we have to do now is focus more effort on the remaining 75 per cent of countries that are not yet hitting the mark.

In these countries, we have to dramatically scale up investment in education systems to improve both the availability of education, but just as importantly, education quality.

To achieve this, the Education Commission report calls for a Financing Compact. The Financing Compact means that countries commit to invest and reform.

In return, the international community offers leadership and education finance, and both are held accountable for their commitment.

To fulfil the compact, countries need to take on four education transformations.

First, performance. This is about putting results front and centre. Successful education systems must invest in what works.

Second, innovation. We must develop new and creative approaches. Education systems must innovate rather than just replicate.

Third, inclusion. We must reach every last child. We will not close the global learning gap unless leaders take steps to include and support those at greatest risk of being out of school. The poor, the discriminated against, girls, and those facing multiple disadvantages.

And fourth, finance. We need to mobilize more money and ensure that we spend it wisely.

Total spending on education must increase steadily from $1.2 to 3 trillion by 2030 across all low- and middle-income countries. The 75 per cent that are falling behind.

This includes mobilising more domestic resources for education. Public spending on education must rise in these countries from 4 per cent to 5.8 per cent.

And by mobilising more support from the international community — governments, financial institutions, business and philanthropists.

International finance needs to increase from today’s estimated $16 billion per year to $89 billion per year by 2030.

These are certainly huge amounts of money.

But we must not forget that by investing now, we will also create huge benefits.

In developing countries, $1 dollar invested in an additional year of schooling gives back $10 back in economic benefits.

What a rate of return!

It gets even better when you think about the role that education can play in empowering girls.

If we close the gender gap by 2030, and education is a big part of this, we are looking at benefits to the global economy of $25 trillion. That is truly a huge number. It makes the upfront investments needed seem small.

And there are other important benefits to children that you cannot put a price on.

Education equals better lives. Access to decent work, improved health and life outcomes, and the dignity that comes from the ability to know and stand up for your human rights.

In 2017, we at the Commission are already taking the first steps to bring our vision of a learning generation into reality.

Two steps we are taking include:

First, advocating for the establishment of a new development bank for education. One that could potentially mobilize $20 billion or more annually by 2030, up from $3.5 billion today.

Second, kick starting a Pioneer Country Initiative, led by former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete. Work has already commenced in Uganda and Malawi with other countries joining in soon.

Under this initiative, the Commission will work closely with the leadership of pioneer countries to push education up to the top of their domestic priority pile.

Leaders will undertake needed reforms, and invest more resources in the right places. The commission will then act as a bridge to international financing institutions, to attract even more resources from outside. By working in this way, we can trigger virtuous cycles of reform, investment and results.

It is my hope, that 2017 is the year that we all finally stand up and prioritise education. At the Commission, we are trying to do our part. However, we cannot do it alone. We need government, business and even individual citizens to step up.

The case for education is indisputable, and we have no time to waste. Millions of children and youth around the world cannot wait any longer.

Please join us in our effort to create the Learning Generation!

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National Speech and Debate Education Day

March 1, 2024!

What is national speech and debate education day.

National Speech and Debate Education Day (NSDE Day) is an annual celebration which honors, celebrates, and promotes the activity of scholastic speech and debate on the first Friday in March (March 1, 2024).

We know how this activity can change lives and we are thrilled to have a day dedicated to celebrating you, your team, and all you put into speech and debate. We can’t wait to celebrate together on March 1!

Download the poster, logos, and graphics

Download our NSDE Day poster, official logos, and graphics for your use in promoting National Speech and Debate Education Day. Be sure to tag us @speechanddebate and use the #NSDEday whenever possible, so we can follow your celebration.

Ideas for Celebrating

We encourage schools to celebrate on March 1, 2024 , in recognition of teachers and students who are transforming tomorrow through speech and debate education. Get inspired below!

Classroom Activities ≫

Group/ whole school events ≫, community events ≫, celebrate honor society ≫, spread the word ≫, classroom activities.

Classroom Activity #1 – Students prepare a presentation for their class by taking a topic of their choice that is related to the content of the class and offering insights on an issue of concern, with potential changes to address the situation.

Classroom Activity #2 – Examine powerful speeches from unexpected voices. Discussions, essays, or presentations can be arranged in class. Some examples of speeches to examine include, but are not limited to:

• Solitude of Self
• Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher
• Dallas ISD Opening Keynote Address
• Ted Blog – 9 talks by impressive kids

Large Group/Whole School Events

Celebrate Expression Assembly – An assembly where students are afforded an opportunity to express themselves through spoken word poetry, an oratory, an extemp speech, or a debate. After each performance, audience members could be given the opportunity to ask questions about the message—why they framed their opinions the way they did; how they chose what to perform; what motivated them to speak.

Guest Speaker Assembly – The school arranges for a guest speaker to come in and talk about an issue of significance to the student body. That speaker could be anyone. In fact, if the speaker isn’t already a renowned speaker, they embody the theme of “unexpected voices.” At some point, the speech or speaker should touch on how students can use their voice to affect change.

Town Hall Meeting – Using the town hall concept, students have the opportunity to ask administrators their perspectives on issues important to them. Possible topics could include the impact of early release for professional development on single family homes or working class families; grading policies; bullying; amount of homework; AP classes; or diversity at the school. The principal can lead the Town Hall and have their leadership team on stage with them. A student leader would offer an opening address and outline the ground rules for the questions:

• No references to specific individuals
• No disrespectful comments
• Constructive questions or perspectives only

The opening speech should also be a chance for the student leader to offer a 5-10 minute State of the School speech. Once the speech is over, the event would be turned over to the principal. The principal would make some opening comments and then start the town hall.

Community Events

Celebrate with Mentorship – Recognize National Speech and Debate Education day by planning a day of mentorship for your program. To get started, reach out to teachers in local elementary schools or middle schools that don’t have existing programs, and celebrate the day by introducing speech and debate to a new generation. Inspire them to speak up, engage, and think critically.

Host a Showcase and Meet the Team Event – Teachers, students, and alumni can work together to open the doors of their program to the community with a Speech and Debate Day. Invite teachers, students, parents, friends, administrators, and school board members to come see the team perform and talk with students and alumni about the value of speech and debate.

Spread the Word

Use this custom template to invite guests to your National Speech and Debate Education Day event! Be sure to use the hashtag #WeAreSpeechAndDebate when sharing your event on social media.

Celebrate the Honor Society

The National Forensic League Honor Society is one of the oldest and largest honor societies in which students can earn recognition. Celebrate the achievements of your students outside of competition by holding an induction ceremony! Read the guide below and find more resources here.

State and Local Resolutions

Each year, we worked to secure state and local resolutions to spread awareness about our activity. We are thrilled to have representatives willing to sponsor legislation in support of speech and debate activities!

If you have leads or connections that could bring a resolution to the floor of your state legislature, school board, or local municipality, please email Alyssa Rivera . If you’re ready to get the ball rolling, download our resolution templates with helpful tips for passing a state or school board proclamation!

Resources for Celebrating

Find your best spokesperson challenge.

Pass a State or Local Proclamation, or a School Board Resolution

Make your event inclusive!

Advocacy Resources

Promote speech and debate in your community by showing others the value of this incredible activity. Invite administrators or local officials to a tournament, or show them the benefits of speech and debate using our collection of articles! Access more advocacy resources here.

2024 U.S. Senate Resolution

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

CO-SPONSORS

View the official 2024 U.S. Senate Resolution (S.Res.570) »

S.Res.570 – Designating March 1, 2024, as “National Speech and Debate Education Day”.

Whereas it is essential for youth to learn and practice the art of communicating with and without technology; Whereas speech and debate education offers students myriad forms of public speaking through which students may develop talent and exercise unique voice and character; Whereas speech and debate education gives students the 21st century skills of communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration; Whereas critical analysis and effective communication allow important ideas, texts, and philosophies the opportunity to flourish; Whereas personal, professional, and civic interactions are enhanced by the ability of the participants in those interactions to listen, concur, question, and dissent with reason and compassion; Whereas students who participate in speech and debate have chosen a challenging activity that requires regular practice, dedication, and hard work; Whereas teachers and coaches of speech and debate devote in-school, afterschool, and weekend hours to equip students with life-changing skills and opportunities; Whereas National Speech and Debate Education Day emphasizes the lifelong impact of providing people of the United States with the confidence and preparation to both discern and share views; Whereas National Speech and Debate Education Day acknowledges that most achievements, celebrations, commemorations, and pivotal moments in modern history begin, end, or are crystallized with public address; Whereas National Speech and Debate Education Day recognizes that learning to research, construct, and present an argument is integral to personal advocacy, social movements, and the making of public policy; Whereas the National Speech & Debate Association, in conjunction with national and local partners, honors and celebrates the importance of speech and debate through National Speech and Debate Education Day; and Whereas National Speech and Debate Education Day emphasizes the importance of speech and debate education and the integration of speech and debate education across grade levels and disciplines: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) designates March 1, 2024, as ‘‘National Speech and Debate Education Day’’;

(2) strongly affirms the purposes of National Speech and Debate Education Day; and

(3) encourages educational institutions, businesses, community and civic associations, and all people of the United States to celebrate and promote National Speech and Debate Education Day.

NSDE Day History

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• Speech Writing /

Labour Day Speech in English: Long and Short 

• Updated on  
• Apr 27, 2024

Labour Day Speech: May 1 is celebrated all around the world to celebrate the presence of the workers who keep working hard and render their services to society. International Worker’s Day, or International Labour Day, honours the workers and labourers of the world in different sectors for rendering their services to society. 

Further, the day also helps in reminding them about their rights at the workplace. In this Labour Day speech, we will discuss some important facts and figures that help the students understand labour more comprehensively.

Long Labour Day Speech in English 

Also Read: World Malaria Day Speech for Students in English: Long & Short

Short Speech Speech on Labour Day for Students 

Also Read: Farewell Speech for Colleague in English

Ans: To start a speech on Labour Day, begin with greeting the audience, like Good morning/ afternoon, everyone. Next, describe the purpose of your speech, like, Today we come together to honour the incredible workforce that powers our nation forward through their skill, determination, and hard work.

Ans: The main message and purpose of Labour Day is to recognise and appreciate the countless contributions and efforts of workers across industries and occupations. The day highlights the importance of upholding the rights of workers, ensuring fair wages and safe conditions, and advocating for their dignity. Labour Day sends a message that society should respect and value the hard work of everyone who works hard to earn a living for their families.

Ans: One of the good quotes on Labour Day is from Abraham Lincoln, “Labour is before and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labour, and could never have existed if labour had not first existed.” 

Popular Speech Topics

This was all about the Labour Day speech. For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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24 Jan 2020

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

24 January 2020

Deputy Secretary-General

Honorable Ministers

Ambassador / Permanent Representatives

Distinguished Participants

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this year’s edition of the International Day of Education. It is the second of its kind since the UN General Assembly through Resolution A/Res/73/25 of December 2018, declared the 24th January of every year the International Day of Education.

In commemorating this year’s International Day of Education, Dr. David Edwards, the General Secretary of the world’s largest teachers’ federation, along with award-winning teachers from different regions were invited to join us, so we can acknowledge, celebrate and hear the vital contributions of teachers to the attainment of inclusive quality education goals.

I am also delighted that youth representatives are also able to join us today. One of them Ms. Lucia Burtnik, is listed as a panelist, and another, a teenager, Marta Borell Fijo, who though fortunate enough to enjoy the benefit of education, continues to draw attention to the plight of other children not so privileged. We appreciate the efforts of Dr. Edwards, Ms. Lucia, Ms. Marta and all other teachers and education enthusiasts for the great work they do.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have convened this meeting bearing in mind the fact that while we still have tremendous amount of work to do, to ensure that we reach full access, equality and quality of education needed to develop economies and tackle challenges that we face as humans, it is not just a gloomy story.

The progress that we have made and continue to make in Science, Technology, Medicine, etcetera, are pointers to this fact. In the past decades, we have eradicated or found treatments to diseases; our transportation systems are more effective and facilitate trade among nations; citizens around the world can now access information on almost anything in seconds; and young entrepreneurs are better able to access global education. 

There has also been an increase in school enrollment rates worldwide, with more children going to, and staying in school longer. Rising enrollment has translated into high literacy rates within and across countries. For instance, the literacy rate for all males and females that are at least 15 years old is currently 86.3 percent. The literacy rate for males aged 15 and over is 90 per cent worldwide, and for females, 82.7 percent.

While this is commendable, it is unacceptable that twenty years into the 21st Century, about 258 million children and youth do not attend school, 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math and millions of refugees and internally displace persons, and people with disabilities are out of school. 

This is a blight on the progress we have made and governments around the world would have to pay more attention and engender needed partnerships to ensure access to free and quality primary and secondary education, as well as affordable and inclusive vocational and technical education.

It is in drawing attention of governments and other stakeholders in the education sector to the need to act now, that a platform such as this is important. We are bringing together government representatives, policymakers as well as thought and opinion leaders to identify gaps and proffer answers to burning issues in education. 

This is even more so, if we bear in mind that we are already lagging behind in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and that the attainment of knowledge and requisite skills will play a significant role in achieving them.

Accordingly, as we enter the Decade of Action and Delivery for the SDGs, it is instructive that this year’s International Day of Education focuses on – “Aligning Inclusive Quality Education Policies with Sustainable Development Goals”.

Today’s event will, thus, draw attention to the learning crisis and responses thereto. Particular focus is on policy choices and action priorities that are necessary to achieve the progress needed in the education sector. I count on the impressive array of education policymakers, administrators, and thinkers here today, to address these issues and provide solutions.

Excellencies, 

Education enhances the analytical, inventive, and critical thinking capacities of human beings, and in the process, accelerating each nation’s technological attainments and economic growth. When a society remains perpetually under-developed, it must among other things re-evaluate its education system. If the system is dysfunctional or does not facilitate the acquisition of pertinent knowledge and skills, the economy will, at best, stagnate, and at worst, collapse. 

What contemporary education statistics reveals is as significant as what it conceals. The world has made progress in basic literacy, but it has not reached a stage at which it could confidently equate school enrollment (or even attendance) with the acquisition of treasured knowledge and skills. 

Clearly, to the extent that there is a significant gap between enrollment and acquisition of knowledge and skills, to that extent could we legitimately talk of a “learning crisis”.

We will have to do our best to ensure that our education systems respond to several issues, to fix the crisis in learning, and raise the standards and quality of education around the world.

 These include ensuring that:

• As school attendance is on the rise the ability to read, write and converse in basic languages of instruction does not decline;
• There must be no dissonance between school curricular and the world of work’s growing need for specialized competencies and skills;
• Education must promote gender equality, facilitate social mobility, foster inter-cultural understanding, and bridge the digital gap between learners in developed countries and their counterparts in under-developed nations;
• Effective partnerships are formed, to assist countries that are most in need of help with curriculum development, teacher training, provision of adequate infrastructure, scholarships and student exchange programmes;
• Persons with disabilities are included in the benefits of education and of living more broadly;
• Education authorities anticipate and respond to the challenges caused by conflict and extreme climatic fluctuations, as well as the hazards they pose to learning;
• Institution of higher learning are provided with the resources which will enable them to overcome current knowledge imparting challenges, while at the same time performing the critical humanizing, professional, scientific, policy analytic and management capacities needed for economic growth and sustainable development.
• Governments around the world work in tandem with education planners and administrators, curriculum development specialists, and corporate bodies to enhance the capacities of their education systems;
• The current gender, digital and financing gaps in education is bridged. Access to education must be broadened, to allow currently excluded groups enjoy the benefits of learning.;

The international community pays more attention to the millions of children that are trapped in conflict zones through no fault of theirs. We must pay attention to their educational needs.

Kindly forgive my giving this long list of asks. I did so very certain that we are equal to the challenge. Certainly, failure to address the needs of the educational sector will mean failure to attain the SDGs. This is a price we cannot, and must never be willing to pay.

It is unacceptable that twenty years into the 21st Century, about 258 million children and youth do not attend school, 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math and millions of refugees and internally displace persons, and people with disabilities are out of school. 

President of the UN General Assembly

I strongly believe in the role that partnerships can play in the implementation and attainment of the SDGs. This is why my office has placed strong emphasis on engendering partnerships across key priority areas. In this regard, I am grateful to member states who are engaging my office, by suggesting among other things concrete proposals to attend to some of the aforementioned issues.

The collaboration by my office, with India and Palau, through the India UN Development Fund, for the implementation of a school renovation project in Palau will help bring education to hundreds of children in that country. The school will also serve as a venue for the Ocean’s conference, and it is a practical demonstration of partnerships, South-South Cooperation and international collaboration, that I will continue to encourage. 

We are also currently exploring a partnership with several countries on what new commitments they are able to make, to alleviate the plight of refugees and displaced children, who are unable to get the education they need and deserve among other areas.

Finally, I urge Member States and key partners to examine the feasibility and value-add support the establishment of a network which will bring together key existing networks of education actors and stakeholders, to share information and ideas, including sources of support, relating to all aspects of education.

I must before concluding, thank my team headed by Professor Balogun and thank UNESCO officials both in Paris and here and others for getting us this far. 

I thank you and wish you successful deliberations.

United Nations

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Pennsylvania board’s cancellation of gay actor’s school visit ill-advised, education leaders say

FILE - Actor Maulik Pancholy attends the premiere of “Trishna” during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 27, 2012 in New York. A Pennsylvania school board’s cancellation of an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy was ill-advised and sends a hurtful message, especially to the LGBTQ+ community, education officials said in a letter Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

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MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania school board’s cancellation of an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy was ill-advised and sends a hurtful message, especially to the LGBTQ+ community, education officials said.

A member of Cumberland Valley School District’s board cited concerns about what he described as Pancholy’s activism and “lifestyle” before the board voted unanimously Monday to cancel his appearance at a May 22 assembly at the Mountain View Middle School. Pancholy, who is gay, was scheduled to speak against bullying.

Besides their concerns about Pancholy, some board members also noted the district’s policy about not hosting overtly political events, news outlets reported. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally by Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign for president.

District Superintendent Mark Blanchard and nine other senior leaders — including assistant superintendents and district-level directors of technology, curriculum, legal affairs, human resources, student services and special education — sent a letter to the board, faculty and staff on Thursday asserting that Pancholy’s speech should have been allowed. Pancholy’s representatives shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press.

The education officials said they were not given “a real opportunity” to answer questions or provide guidance about the event, which they said was aimed at reinforcing the importance of treating all people equally.

The administrators added that the school board’s decision had “significant ramifications for our school community, especially for our students and staff who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.” They also noted that the actor’s sexual identity was cited as a factor in the decision, meaning “Mr. Pancholy’s personhood was reduced to a single aspect, and his ability to communicate a message of anti-bullying and hate was discredited.”

The Associated Press sent emails to individual school board members seeking comment Friday.

Pancholy, 48, is an award-winning actor, including for his roles on the television shows “30 Rock” and “Weeds,” and as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series, “Phineas & Ferb.” He also has written children’s books and in 2014 was named by then-President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where he co-founded a campaign to combat AAPI bullying.

Pancholy’s appearance was scheduled by the school’s leadership team, which each year selects an author to present a “unique educational experience for students,” according to the district.

The school board’s vote to cancel Pancholy’s appearance also sparked criticism from several parents, students and community members, who called the decision “homophobic.” Some have started online petitions urging that Pancholy’s appearance be reinstated.

In a statement posted on social media this week, Pancholy said his school visits are meant “to let all young people know that they’re seen.”

“To let them know that they matter.”

He also said that one of the reasons he became an author was because as a child he never saw himself represented in stories.

“That’s the power of books. They build empathy,” Pancholy wrote. “I wonder why a school board is so afraid of that?”

Ohio State president 'will not compromise' on safety as campuses face Gaza war protests

In an end-of-the-semester email sent Monday afternoon to the campus community, Ohio State University President Ted Carter followed up on communication from over the weekend with a reminder of the university's stances on protesting and free speech.

On Saturday, Ohio State said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that hate speech is "deplorable and does not align with our values, even if allowed under the First Amendment."

The post came following a couple of campus protests in the past few days over the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza . Video clips from one of those protests were shared on an Instagram account belonging to StopAntisemitism — "a grassroots watchdog organization dedicated to exposing groups and individuals that espouse incitement towards the Jewish people and State and engage in antisemitic behaviors," according to its website.

In his email, Carter said that college campuses "must be places where we can process these events through respectful discussion and debate."

"We are here together to learn from one another and hear new and different perspectives — including those with which we disagree," he said.

Carter said he wants students, staff and faculty to stand up for what they believe in, and that Buckeyes should "dedicate ourselves to using our voices with civility and compassion."

"I remain steadfastly committed to maintaining an environment where all members of our community feel welcome while continuing to uphold the First Amendment and the laws of our state and nation," Carter said.

Cater added that Ohio State will "continue to prioritize safety," including having university police officers and trained staff on-site for demonstrations, and enforcing space rules that prohibit "intentional disruptions of university events, classes, exams or programming, including commencement."

Carter also warned that when protected speech becomes threatening, "Ohio State has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy."

"I will not compromise on this," he said.

Carter asked that people consider their words wisely.

"Even if speech is protected, is it how you would talk to a member of your family or a friend?" he said. "Displays of hate speech on our campuses, even if allowed under the First Amendment, are reprehensible and do not align with our values. Ohio State must be a place where all are welcome and safe."

Remarks come as campuses face protests nationwide

The Hamas-Israel war has sparked protests on college campuses across the country since shortly after Hamas attacked Israelis on Oct. 7.

More than 100 people were  arrested last week at a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University  in New York City over Israel's military actions in Gaza. Columbia administrators announced Monday that it would move to hybrid classes for the rest of the semester because of the protests.

The student groups were also protesting the university's financial investment in "corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine," the group told USA Today.

Students were forcibly removed by police from tents pitched on lawns at the center of campus.

Police in New Haven, Connecticut arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University on Monday and charged them with trespassing during a protest demanding Yale divest itself from weapons manufacturers that supply Israel with arms.

Harvard University has restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday in anticipation of pro-Palestine student protests during the Jewish Passover holiday.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter,  here .

[email protected]

@sheridan120

US has long history of college protests: Here's what happened in the past

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken over parts of college campuses across the U.S., the latest in a decades-long string of protests ignited by political activism — some of which have spiraled into violence amid police crackdowns .

In the past, free speech sit-ins quickly escalated into massive rallies, Vietnam War college demonstrations turned deadly and U.S. civil rights protests ended in mass arrests.

The circumstances of each protest were different, but the story is familiar: Young people demanded changes on their campuses or in the world — and their impassioned demonstrations often escalated amid clashes with authorities.

Columbia , the university at the center of the current wave of protests, has even seen similar protests before, including during the Vietnam War in 1968. Demonstrations led the university to end classified war research and stop military recruitment, among other changes, wrote Rosalind Rosenberg, a professor of history at Barnard College, for Barnard Magazine .

Today's demonstrators also have specific changes in mind, often involving divestment from Israel , citing the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinian people who died in Gaza amid Israel's bombardment and ground assault. That military campaign was triggered by Hamas' incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, when about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 240 people were taken hostage.

But as campus authorities react swiftly, citing safety concerns and calling in police to break up encampents, it's unclear if or how the current protests will influence the Israel-Hamas war.

USA TODAY revisited four monumental campus protests to explain how college protests have become a staple of American life and often influence the outcomes of political strife. Here's a look at how previous campus protests unfolded — and whether they were successful in their causes.

University of California, Berkeley: Free Speech in 1960s

At the University of California Berkeley starting in 1964, students protested the university's limits on political activities and free speech during the civil rights movement and Vietnam-war era.

"In the wake of  McCarthyism’s  anti-Communist sentiments during the 1950s, public universities in California had enacted numerous regulations limiting  students’ political activities ," wrote Karen Aichinger for the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee University. "At the University of California, Berkeley, student groups taking part in any on- or off-campus political activities were banned from campus."

What transpired were "small sit-ins and demonstrations" that "escalated into a series of large-scale rallies and protests demanding full constitutional rights on campus," reads the UC Berkeley website.

Nearly 800 students were arrested by local police as a result.

The students' protest ultimately worked in their favor. The university eventually overturned policies that would restrict the content of speech or advocacy, according to the college.

"Today, the Movement stands as a symbol of the importance of protecting and preserving free speech and academic freedom," reads the UC Berkeley website.

Kent State University in Ohio: Vietnam War in 1970

The most prolific university protest of the Vietnam War happened at Kent State University in Ohio in May 1970. Students started protesting the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Cambodia on their campus on May 2. Two days later, the National Guard opened fire into a sea of antiwar protesters and passerbys. The soldiers killed four young people – Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Knox Schroeder – and injured several others with their violence.

"The impact of the shootings was dramatic," wrote Jerry Lewis and Thomas Hensley in an article for Kent State University. "The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close."

The shootings also influenced national politics, Lewis and Hensley wrote.

"In The Ends of Power, (H.R.) Haldeman, (a top aide to President Richard Nixon), states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration," the article reads.

Today, the protest and shootings "certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era," Lewis and Hensley wrote.

Jackson State College in Mississippi: Racial Injustice in 1970

Days after the shootings at Kent State, police opened gunfire at a college dormitory Jackson State College in Mississippi, a school with a predominantly Black student population.

Black students there were protesting racial injustice, including how they were treated by white drivers speeding on campus, according to the university .

Police received a call that Black young people were throwing rocks at white drivers near the campus. Police arrived at the scene and shot hundreds of bullets into Alexander Hall, according to an FBI report, NPR reported . Police killed two students – Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green – and injured 12 others. The college also canceled its graduation due to the killings and unrest.

At a 2021 commencement ceremony, the university honored 74 of the students who were unable to walk the stage in 1970, NBC reported . At the commencement ceremony, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said police “unjustly gunned down two innocent young Black men, terrorized and traumatized a community of Black students and committed one of the gravest sins in our city’s history," NBC reported .

The killings at Jackson State College and Kent State University national sparked outrage. College students across the nation protested on their campuses, according to the Zinn Education Project , a collaboration of historical content from the groups  Rethinking Schools  and  Teaching for Change .

"The spring of 1970 saw the first general student strike in the history of the United States, students from over four hundred colleges and universities calling off classes to protest the invasion of Cambodia, the Kent State affair, the killing of two black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, and the continuation of the war," wrote Howard Zinn in the book "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train ."

Angus Johnston, an adjunct assistant professor at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York and a historian of student activism, said after both events: "There was a period of about 30 years or so where it tended to be fairly unlikely that campuses would respond with mass arrests even in the case of admin building occupations."

Nationwide: South Africa anti-Apartheid protests in 1985

Another form of popular college campus protest occurred in the 1980's. Students across the country wanted their colleges to cut ties with groups that supported from the South African apartheid.

"Under apartheid, race restricted every aspect of life for South Africans who were Black, Indian and colored — a multiracial classification created by the government," The New York Times reported . "There were strict limits on where they could live, attend school, work and travel.

Columbia University was at the center of the movement. Students led by the Coalition for a Free South Africa at Columbia University "blockaded Hamilton Hall, the university’s administrative building, leading to the first successful divestiture campaign at the university," reads a summary of the events from the Zinc Education Project .

There was less pushback for protesters during this time, due to a “certain embarrassment among elites in the United States that there was complicity with South Africa’s white government,” said Daniel Farber, a history professor at the University of Kansas who has studied American activism, reports Vox Media .

Columbia University was one of the first colleges to divest from doing business with South Africa and 155 universities followed suit. U.S. Congress also passed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act in 1986, which aimed to prevent new trade and investment between the nation and South Africa.

What is the future of college protests in America?

Free speech experts told USA TODAY that students should continue to peacefully protest in open campus spaces to avoid conflict.

Alex Morey, the director of campus rights advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, encourages universities to remain neutral in times of unrest and not to call in authorities unless a demonstration turns violent. The national nonprofit defends Americans rights to free speech and thought.

"Peaceful protest is a hallmark of a healthy speech climate on American college campuses and it has been for decades – whether it's the Berkeley free speech movement, or students protesting the Vietnam War era or civil rights," Morey said. "Generations of students have felt passionately about certain issues and the open air places on campuses are great places to support their views."

Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected] .  Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.

USC cancels ‘main stage’ commencement ceremony

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USC announced Thursday that it is canceling its main May commencement ceremony, capping a dramatic series of moves that began last week after it informed valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who had been opposed by pro-Israel groups, that she would not be delivering the traditional speech .

In ending the university-wide May 10 graduation ceremony altogether, President Carol Folt aimed to quell the controversy that grew as the school chipped away at core parts of the ritual , drawing criticism from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel activists.

The cancellation took place amid unrest on university campuses across the nation stemming from the Israel-Hamas war. On Wednesday at a pro-Palestinian encampment at USC, 93 students and off-campus activists were arrested.

“With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially,” USC said in its announcement. “As a result, we will not be able to host the main stage ceremony that traditionally brings 65,000 students, families, and friends to our campus all at the same time and during a short window from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.”

Photos: Tensions grow as pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses continue

Pro-Palestinian protests grew Thursday at California colleges and universities, including a new encampment at UCLA that drew a crowd of counterprotesters.

April 26, 2024

A university spokesman did not reply to a request to interview Folt, who has not spoken publicly about the cancellations.

At least 23 satellite graduation ceremonies at USC’s schools and colleges will continue as scheduled, in addition to smaller departmental receptions.

“We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band,” USC said in a statement.

The university also announced that it will require tickets for “all commencement events taking place on May 8-11” and direct “all campus access through specific points of entry.”

It said that tickets would be limited to eight per graduating student and that they would not be transferable.

“There will be an appeal process if more tickets are needed,” said the letter, which added that commencement events would include a security screening “similar to those for attending athletic events at the Coliseum.” Guests at the Coliseum enter through a metal detector and their bags are X-rayed. USC also said only clear bags would be allowed at graduation events.

USC valedictorian’s grad speech is canceled: ‘The university has betrayed me’

Asna Tabassum was selected as USC valedictorian and offered a slot to speak at graduation. The university canceled her speech after pro-Israel groups criticized her Instagram.

April 16, 2024

Since citing unspecified security threats as the reason for canceling Tabassum’s speech, USC has seen a series of on-campus protests, including this week’s pro-Palestinian encampment.

University officials had followed their cancellation of Tabassum’s speech by calling off a speech by film director Jon M. Chu and appearances on the main stage by honorary doctorate recipients, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, saying they wanted to “keep the focus on our graduates.”

Some of the smaller commencement ceremonies will still host keynote speakers, including King, who is scheduled to address Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism graduates on May 10.

King has not responded to interview requests from The Times.

National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, who was also deprived of the chance to receive an honorary degree on the main stage, is scheduled to deliver a May 10 keynote speech to graduates of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Via an NEA spokeswoman, Price declined an interview request.

Actor and activist Sean Penn will also still give a May 11 address to graduates of the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, according to his representative.

LAPD arrests 93 people at USC amid Israel-Hamas war protests

LAPD officers in riot gear arrested 93 people on trespassing charges as they cleared an encampment at the center of the USC campus that formed in protest against the Israel-Hamas war.

April 24, 2024

The last time the main USC commencement was canceled was in 2020 after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those graduates participated in online and in-person ceremonies the next year, along with the Class of 2021.

“This is a rather unusual commencement, to put it in obvious terms,” said Donal Manahan, a USC biologist who has been the university marshal for the main stage ceremony since 2016. “It’s the whole country going through it.”

William Tierney, a university professor emeritus at USC’s Rossier School of Education and an expert in higher education policy and administration, said he blames Folt for the university’s failure to engage “in difficult dialogues.”

“This president hasn’t even made a statement. She’s gone. She’s invisible,” he said. Instead, he added, “the university has determined it’s a dangerous place and locked it down. ... And now we’ll cancel the main commencement because it is so dangerous for us to have a dialogue.”

“We could protect the Obamas when they came to campus,” Tierney said, referring to former President Obama and his wife attending their daughter Sasha’s graduation last year. “We could protect the campus at other times. But now it’s simply too dangerous? That just fails the leadership test across the board.”

USC junior Lawrence Sung said he was disappointed to not have a chance to celebrate his graduating friends at the main stage event.

“This is a massive overreaction,” said Sung, who studies international relations. “If USC was to choose the worst option at every step of the way in this controversy, this would be it.”

The saga at USC began April 15, when Provost Andrew T. Guzman released a campus-wide letter citing unnamed threats that came after the university announced Tabassum as the valedictorian and a scheduled speaker. Guzman said the attacks were of an “alarming tenor” and “escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement.”

Guzman did not say what the threats were or who was targeted. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department told The Times that the agency had no crime reports regarding violent threats targeting Tabassum or the commencement ceremony.

The complaints focused on a link on Tabassum’s Instagram profile to a pro-Palestinian website that said, “Zionism is a racist settler-colonialist ideology,” and “One Palestinian state would mean Palestinian liberation and the complete abolishment of the state of Israel” so that “both Arabs and Jews can live together.”

Tabassum has denied she supports antisemitic views and said she is being singled out as a hijab-wearing Muslim woman.

Then last Friday, USC called off an appearance by Chu — the director of “Crazy Rich Asians” — and other commencement honorees. In canceling those events, USC cited “the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main stage commencement program.”

In an interview prior to Thursday’s announcement of the main stage cancellation, Joel Curran, USC’s senior vice president of communications, said the decision about Chu and honorary degree recipients was made in order to avoid putting them “in an awkward situation” to address the valedictorian controversy or the Israel-Hamas war.

“We are putting them in an awkward situation, difficult situation. There have been a lot of conversations around commencement. We do not want to put them in that position,” Curran said.

Last week, 11 members of the Advisory Committee on Muslim Life at USC — more than half the membership — resigned in protest of the decision on Tabassum. Folt had convened the group in mid-2023 amid complaints of anti-Muslim bias on campus.

USC is one of dozens of colleges and universities where tensions have grown in recent weeks over free speech and protest over the Israel-Hamas war, including Columbia, Yale, UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt.

In its Oct. 7 attack on Israel , Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took roughly 240 hostages. Gaza health authorities say Israel’s retaliatory war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. According to the United Nations, 2 million Gazans are living in near-famine conditions.

Times staff writers Angie Orellana Hernandez and Jenna Peterson contributed to this report.

More to Read

USC protests remain peaceful after campus is closed; LAPD calls off tactical alert

13 days that rocked USC: How a derailed commencement brought ‘complete disaster’

April 27, 2024

Pro-Palestinian protests grow at California campuses as opposing demonstrators clash at UCLA

April 25, 2024

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Jaweed Kaleem is a national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times. Based in L.A. with a focus on issues outside of California, he has traveled to dozens of states to cover news and deeply reported features on the complexity of the American experience. His articles frequently explore race, religion, politics, social debates and polarized society. Kaleem was previously based in London, where he was a lead news writer on Russia’s war on Ukraine and spearheaded European coverage for the Times, including the Global California initiative. Before joining The Times in 2016, he reported on religion for HuffPost and the Miami Herald, where he was a member of a Pulitzer Prize finalist team recognized for coverage of Haiti. His reporting has also received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society for Features Journalism, the Asian American Journalists Assn., the South Asian Journalists Assn. and the National Headliner Awards.

Matt Hamilton is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle and was part of the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Southern California, he joined The Times in 2013.

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Politics latest: Key voter on Humza Yousaf's future will make proposals to 'help him out of a tight corner'

Ash Regan, who is the Alba Party's sole MSP and potentially the deciding vote in a no-confidence motion in Mr Yousaf, is expected to meet with the first minister. Listen to this week's Politics at Jack and Sam's as you scroll.

Sunday 28 April 2024 11:15, UK

• Sunak refuses to rule out July general election
• Watch in full: Trevor Phillips interviews the prime minister
• Key voter on Yousaf's future will make proposals to 'help him out of a tight corner'
• Connor Gillies:  First minister must reset relations with very people he's burned bridges with
• Salmond asked Alastair Campbell to negotiate on behalf of Scotland if it gained independence
• Explained: How did we get here - and what happens next?
• Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam's
• Sam Coates explains why the local elections matter
• Live reporting by Brad Young

By Trevor Phillips, presenter

I've known Rishi Sunak slightly for almost a decade, having first met him after he penned a thoughtful, comprehensive, well-received report on Britain's minority communities, which I'd say is still the best of its kind.

Sitting down to interview him in a state-of-the-art defence facility this week, I could still see the same energetic, likeable problem solver that I met back then, even if he's now surrounded by the prime ministerial cavalcade of aides, security and media.

That Peloton and fasting regime are clearly doing their job. He's keen to show his detailed grasp of the situation, whether that's welfare reform, defence or migration. It's easy to see why he shone in Silicon Valley and thrived in the Treasury.

However, in the political world he chose, there's a downside to being highly intelligent, disciplined, and super-focused on delivery, as they might say in California.

He betrays frustration with what he - not wholly unjustifiably - sees as a media obsession with polls and presentation.

Unfortunately, as Enoch Powell once pointed out, a politician who complains about journalists is like a sailor who doesn't much fancy being at sea.

He rightly points out that it's his job to make hard choices - for example, funding the defence budget even if it's at the expense of schools and hospitals.

But a political leader should also know that what follows is an even harder job: to cajole the electorate into supporting that choice - and the voters aren't always governed by the logic of the computer.

Read on here...

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has said her party will not be changing its mind about supporting the upcoming motion of no confidence in First Minister Humza Yousaf.

Ms Slater said they would vote in favour of the motion on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show,

"I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that position.

"This was a spectacular breach of trust."

She was asked if policy offers from Mr Yousaf ahead of the vote could persuade them to abstain.

“[The Bute House Agreement] was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues," she said.

"But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences."

Policing minister Chris Philp said he was posing a "rhetorical question" after he appeared to ask whether Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were different countries.

The MP for Croydon South said he was struggling to hear when he was asked about the government's new law on deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda by a Question Time audience member.

He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "I was struggling a little bit to hear the question.

"When I put that point to him I was asking that as a clearly rhetorical question rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair-minded listener would conclude."

What did he say on Question Time?

The audience member, from Congo, pointed out there has been a long history of violent conflict with neighbouring country Rwanda.

He asked Mr Philp: "Had my family members come from Goma [a city on the country's border] on a crossing right now, would they then be sent back to the country they are supposedly warring – Rwanda? Does that make any sense to you?"

Mr Philp replied: "No, I think there's an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent to Rwanda."

After the audience member objected that his parents were not from Rwanda, the Conservative MP appeared to ask: "Well, I mean, Rwanda is a different country to Congo, isn't it?

"It's a different country?" he said, followed by laughter from some audience members.

Rishi Sunak was quizzed over the local and general elections, the Rwanda Scheme and defence spending today on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

If you missed it, here's your chance to catch up on all the key moments - or watch the interview in full.

• The prime minister tried to manage expectations for Thursday, saying: "Local elections are always difficult for incumbent parties";
• Asylum seekers travelling across the land border to Ireland was a sign the Rwanda scheme was working as a deterrent, he said;
• Despite being asked several times, Mr Sunak refused to rule out a July general election;
• He declined to comment on polling and, when asked if he would have any regrets should the Conservative Party lose, Mr Sunak said: "You're again focused on all this personality stuff."

A little earlier this morning, Rishi Sunak told Sky News that the movement of migrants from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland showed his Rwanda scheme was working as a deterrent.

But the Irish government is to consider legislative proposals next week on returning asylum seekers back to the UK who have travelled across the land border.

Justice minister Helen McEntee will also meet Home Secretary James Cleverly next week, after saying the number of migrants crossing the border was now "higher than 80%".

"I'll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK," she told RTE.

Ms McEntee added Brexit was responsible for the UK seeing an increase in people seeking asylum.

A spokesman for Irish premier Simon Harris said he is "very clear about the importance of protecting the integrity" of Ireland's migration system.

"Ireland has a rules-based system that must always be applied firmly and fairly.

"In that context, the Taoiseach has asked the minister for justice to bring proposals to Cabinet next week to amend existing law regarding the designation of safe 'third countries' and allowing the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK."

Alex Salmond asked Alastair Campbell to negotiate on behalf of Scotland with the UK government in the event it voted for independence in 2014, Mr Campbell tells Sky News.

The proposal was made when the pair were in Scotland ahead of the referendum, making tributes to Tony Benn, the former Number 10 communications director says.

"If Scotland had become independent, then that would have been a massive, massive thing for the country, so I would have been very happy to do that.

"I would want people who weren't necessarily pro-indpendence to be part of that team."

As Humza Yousaf fights to maintain leadership of Scotland, the Alba Party's Alex Salmond joins Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

Meanwhile, Ash Regan, the Alba Party's sole MP and potentially the deciding vote in a no-confidence motion in Mr Yousaf, is expected to meet with the first minister.

Ms Regan will "make a set of reasonable proposals to help him out of a very tight corner", says Mr Salmond.

"Scotland is lucky that somebody like Ash Regan is in that position."

Independence forces should be "cooperating together to try and get independence back as a priority in Scottish society".

Asked if an agreement can be reached with the SNP, Mr Salmond says Mr Yousaf is "in a very difficult position" but he will be in a "listening mode".

"He wouldn't have sacked the Greens from his administration unless he wanted a significant change in direction," says Mr Salmond.

"One possible outcome of this political crisis is there might be a Scottish election."

Earlier this week, Labour pledged to nationalise the railway system.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting says the plan is a "reflection of the failure of privatised rail and the absence of competition".

If you bring the franchises back into public ownership as they come up, the profits can be reinvested into better services and fairs, argues Mr Streeting.

"There is already enormous public ownership of our railways, but they are owned by French, German, Dutch and Italian taxpayers, and our profits go into their countries."

"It's time that we had public ownership of our railways so we can reinvest."

Trevor Phillips continues to put questions to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.

He is about Keir Starmer's pledge to maintain the triple lock, with Phillips raising statistics showing median wealth for those in their early 60s was nearly nine times higher than those in their early 30s.

"I don't buy into that intergenerational conflict argument. We need to give pensioners the reassurance to know that as they have planned for retirement... that Labour will protect the triple lock."

Wes Streeting is asked about the possibility of a July election, which the prime minister has refused to rule out.

The shadow health secretary says: "He should get on with it. We are not just ready, we are, as with the rest of the country, fed up of waiting."

People are "crying out for an opportunity to deliver their verdict on this government and vote for change", he says.

"That's why the prime minister bottled an election earlier this year, that's why he's bottled it now, and that's why he will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails."

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on the Passage of H.R. 815, the National Security Supplemental

State Dining Room

10:57 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe, and it’s a good day for world peace, for real.  This is consequential.

I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House of Representatives this weekend and by the Senate yesterday. 

It’s going to make America safer.  It’s going to make the world safer.  And it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it. 

It gives vital support to America’s partners and they — so they can defend themselves against threats to their sovereignty and to the lives and freedom of their citizens.  And it’s an investment in our own security, because when our allies are stronger — and I want to make this point again and again — when our allies are stronger, we are stronger.

I’m grateful for all — grateful to all those in Congress — Democrats, Republicans, independents — who voted for this bill.

It’s a path — to my desk, it was a difficult path.  It should have been easier, and it should have gotten there sooner.  But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done.

Now we need to move fast, and we are. 

Over two years, Russia has been responsible for a brutal campaign against Ukraine.  They’ve killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, bombed hospitals — deliberately picked them out — bombed hospitals, kindergartens, grain silos; tried to plunge Ukraine into a cold and dark winter by striking their power grid.

Ukrainians have fought — the Ukrainians have fought back, defending their country and their families with extraordinary courage.  Many of you have been there with me many times.  It’s amazing what they do.  I mean, it’s amazing.    Against such a larger military, Ukraine has regained over half the territory that Russia took from them in this invasion.  And they won important victories against Russia’s navy.  But make no mistake about: They’re a fighting force with the will and the skill to win — the will and the skill to win.

For months, while MAGA Republicans were blocking aid, Ukraine has been running out of artillery shells and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Putin’s friends keep giving him — are keeping him well supplied.  Iran sent him drones.  North Korea has sent him ballistic missiles and artillery shells.  China is providing components and know-how to boost Russia’s defense production.

With all this support, Russia has ramped up its airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, rained down munitions on U- — brave Ukrainians defending their homeland.  And now Americans are going to send Ukraine the supplies they need to keep them in the fight.

This weekend, there are reports — and this is — I find this amazing.  There are reports of cheers breaking out of the trenches in eastern Ukraine — probably came from one of your folks — a reporter or someone.  I’m not sure where it came from.  But that they’re cheering as they watch the House vote in support for Ukraine.

It’s not like they don’t understand what we’ve done.  Not like they don’t understand how critical this is for them.

I’m making sure the shipments start right away.

In the next few hours — literally, the few hours — we’re going to begin sending in equipment to Ukraine for air defense; munitions for artillery, for rocket systems; and armored vehicles. 

You know, this package is literally an investment, not only in Ur- — Ukraine’s security but in Europe’s security, in our own security.   We’re sending Ukraine equipment from our own stockpiles, and then we’ll replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.    In other words, we’re helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America.   You know, the United States is not acting alone, to state the obvious.  Our allies in Europe and around the world, who for — constantly been asking me, “Are we going to step up?  We’re not going to walk away, are we?  How many” — and some of you have been in these international meetings with me.  They’re very concerned.  Had we failed to step up, Lord only knows what would happen to the cohesion of NATO.   We’re also sendi- — they’re also sending significant help to Ukraine.  We’re all standing together against this brutal dictator.     As I’ve argued for months, this is directly — directly in the United States’ national security interest.  If Putin trium- — triumphs in Ukraine, the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO Ally.  And you all know full well that invoking Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty would be the first thing that comes to mind, which declares an attack on one is an attack on all.   If Putin attacks a NATO Ally, like he’s attacking Ukraine today, we’d have no choice but to come to their aid, just like our NATO Allies came to our la- — our aid after the September 11th attacks here.    That’s why we’re supporting and surging support now to Ukraine: to stop Putin from drawing the United States into a war in Europe and in the future.    You know, it seems to me we should take a little bit of a step back and realize what a critical moment this was for the United States and for NATO.  This is a historical moment.   In the last two years, we’ve helped unify, strengthen, and expand NATO.  Imagine if instead we had failed — we had failed to step up now and support Ukraine.  All those gains would have begun to unravel, the cohesion of NATO would have been weakened, and our national security would have been undermined, without any question.   You know, Putin started this war believing he could easily break the will of the people of Ukraine.  When that failed, he changed his strategy a little bit, thinking he could break the — break the will of NATO, break the will of the United States, break our will.  Well, he’s failed again.   America stands with our friends.  We stand up against dictators.  We bow to no one — to no one, certainly not Vladimir Putin.    Look, this bill also includes vital support for Israel.  Just 10 days ago, we saw Iran launch over 100 missiles and drones at Israel.  And because of them and other allies across the countr- — world, including from the region, none — no serious damage occurred.  An unprecedented attack that followed years of Iran supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and proxies of their own — their own attack on Israel.  They — they fund these guys.    My commitment to Israel, I want to make clear again, is ironclad.  The security of Israel is critical.  I will always make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and terrorists it supports.   And with this aid, the United States can help replenish Israel’s air defense and provide other critical defense so Iran can never carry out the destruction it intended with its attack 10 days ago.   But at the same time, this bill significantly — significantly increases humanitarian assistance we’re sending to the innocent people of Gaza, who are suffering badly.  They’re suffering the consequences of this war that Hamas started.  And we’ve been working intently for months to get as much aid to Gaza as possible.   This bill includes $1 billion for additional humanitarian aid in Gaza.  We’re going to immediately secure that aid and surge it — surge it, including food, medical supplies, clean water.  And Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay.    And everything we do is guided by the ultimate goal of bringing these hostages home, securing a ceasefire, and setting the conditions for an enduring peace.    You know, there’s more that this bill does, in- — as you all know, the press here, including providing for support to strengthen even further our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as humanitarian aid to places including Haiti, Sudan, and Somalia.    But there’s one thing this bill does not do: border security.    You know, just this year, I proposed and negotiated and agreed to the strongest border security bill this country has ever, ever, ever seen.  It was bipartisan.  It should have been included in this bill, and I’m determined to get it done for the American people.  But I’ll come back to that in another mom- — another time.    This is a reminder of what America can do when we s- — when we come together, despite our differences.    I want to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell.  They don’t always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing.  And I mean this sincerely, history will remember this time.  History will remember this moment.   For all the talk about how dysfunctional things are in Washington, when you look over the past three years, we see that time and again on the critical issues we’ve actually come together.  It hadn’t always been easy, but when it’s come time to decide to rebuild America, we did it with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is just underway.    When it came time to invest in our semiconductor industry and technica- — technologic- — technologies of the future, we did it with the CHIPS and Science Act.    And when it came time to stand with Ukraine and Israel and help the people of Gaza, we did that as well.    At the end of the day, most of us — whether we’re Democrats, Republicans, or independents — believe that America must stand up for what is right. 

We don’t walk away from our allies; we stand with them.  We don’t let tyrants win; we oppose them.  We don’t merely watch global events unfold; we shape them.    That’s what it means to be the ins- — the indispensable nation.  That’s what it means to be the world’s superpower and the world’s leading democracy.    Some of our MAGA Republican friends reject that vision, but this vote makes it clear: There is a bipartisan consensus for that kind of American leadership.  That’s exactly what we’ll continue to deliver.    I thank you all very much.  And now I’m going off to make a speech at a hotel that I am late for.  And I’ll have plenty of time to answer questions on this and other matters.    Thank you.     11:08 A.M. EDT    

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