Today marks the International Day of Education. January 24 has been observed as the International Day of Education each year since 2019, following a call by the United Nations.
This year, the Day is being observed worldwide under the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-creating Education.” The right to education is enshrined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which states that education shall be free, at least at the elementary and fundamental stages.
Similarly, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child also recognizes the right to education, emphasizing the need for broad access to higher education. When the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in September 2015, the international community acknowledged that education plays a vital role in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning opportunities by 2030.
According to UNESCO, at present, 250 million children and adolescents worldwide remain out of school, while the number of adults lacking basic education stands at 763 million.
