Peru president highlights children out of school

Peru's President Pedro Castillo, a leftist political novice turned politician, called for international attention to children and young people who have been left out of the school system. Castillo said he is convinced that the capacity of society to overcome complex challenges we face is by the education our children and our young people receive. Castillo was a rural schoolteacher in the country's third-poorest district of Peru.

For over 25 years, he had seen his students struggle in crumbling schools where teachers also cook, sweep floors and file paperwork. The son of illiterate peasants, he promised during his presidential campaign to be a champion of his country's poor. During his address in New York City, Castillo urged for a new global social pact where women and girl's rights are restored and their contributions recognized.