彭丽媛表示，他的父亲曾经是村夜校校长，专门负责扫盲工作。在他的帮助下，许多的妇女把自己学会的字教给孩子们。经过几代人的努力，中国教育事业取得显著成就。彭丽媛表示，她自身就是教育的受益者，否则也不可能成为一名女高音歌唱家。
彭丽媛表示，多年前，他的父亲通过他的努力改变了他所在的小村庄。今天大家携手努力就能改变世界。彭丽媛表示，希望所有的孩子特别是女孩都接受良好的教育，这就是她的中国梦。她坚信，总有一天，教育第一的梦想将不会是一个梦想，将会成为全世界共享的美好现实。
演讲全文：
Director-General Bokova, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me a great pleasure to join you for this important initiative as the UN marks its 70th anniversary.
Education is very close in my heart. My father grew up in a very small village in China. In those days, not many villagers could read. So my father opened a night school to teach them how to read. With his help, many people learned to write their own names; with his help many people learned to read newspapers for the first time; with his help, many women were able to teach their children how to read.
As his daughter, I know what education means to the people, especially those without it. After generations of hard work, China has come a long way in education. I myself am a beneficiary of that progress.Otherwise I would never become a soprano and a professor of musical.
I am following my father’s footsteps by teaching at China’s Conservatory of Music to help continue China’s success story. I want to thank Director-General Bokova and UNESCO for naming me the Special Envoy for Women and Girls Education. I am truly honored to work with the UN and do something about Global Education. I have visited many schools around the world. I’ve seen first-hand on how much we can do for education.
Education is about women and the girls. It is important for girls to go to school because they will become their children’s first teacher some day. But women still account for over half of the world’s poor in population and 60% of adults who can’t read.
Education is crucial in the addressing such in equalities. In China, Spring Bud Education Program has helped over 3 million girls go back to school. Many of them have finished university education and they are doing well at work.
Education is about equality. In poor countries and regions the number of school dropouts is astonishing. We call for more educational resources to these places.
Education is about the young people. Young people are the future. Education isimportant because it not only gave young people knowledge and skills but also help them become responsible citizens. As the UNESCO special envoy and the mother myself my commitment to education for all will never change.
Many years ago my father made a small difference in his village. Together we can make a big difference in the world. I was once asked about my Chinese dream. I said I hope all children especially girls can have access to good education. This is my Chinese dream. I believe one day education first will no longer be a dream, it will be a reality enjoyed by every young woman on this planet.
Thank you very much.