International Day of Education

24 January is commemorated as the International Day of Education in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

Background

On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

The adoption of the resolution 73/25 “International Day of Education”, co-authored by Nigeria and 58 other Member States, demonstrated the unwavering political will to support transformative actions for inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.

By doing so, the international community reiterated that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies, and contributes to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals.

With a view to enhance international cooperation in supporting the efforts towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4, the resolution called on all stakeholders including Member States, organizations of the UN system, and civil society, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, individuals and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day of Education.

UNESCO, as the specialized United Nations agency for education, facilitates the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with main education actors.

Education key to development

Education is a human right

The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all.

Education is key to sustainable development

When it adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the international community recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of its goals. Sustainable Development Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

Challenges to achieving universal education

Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 258 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. 

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.

Theme for 2023 - To invest in people, prioritize education

The year 2023 marks the mid-point since the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for people, planet and prosperity, with a set of 17 interlocked goals that will come up for review at the SDG Summit in September on the theme of investing in people

Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this year’s Day will call for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action. Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.

Objectives of the Day

• Generate visibility from local to global level on prioritizing education to reach the SDGs ahead of the SDG Summit, building on the outcomes of the TES
• Promote and showcase the national statements of commitment at country level and mobilize political and financial support for translating them into action
• Encourage wide take-up of the global initiatives launches at the TES to accelerate foundational learning, get every learner climate ready through greening education, promote public digital learning, advance gender equality in and through education and ensure learning continuity in situations of emergency and protracted crisis.
• Advocate for higher levels of domestic and international financing, including through innovative sources, building on commitments at the TES.
• Raise awareness around the national SDG 4 benchmarking process and how the benchmarks provide an accountability framework for commitments made at the Transforming Education Summit.
• Provide youth a platform to build on the TES youth declaration, relay their demands and showcase their initiatives and innovations to advance the right to education
• Rally influencers to push forward the global education movement calling on world leaders to stand by their commitments and prioritize investment in education and educational transformation

Source : UN