International Day of Education
Next: January 24, 2027
Learning is a right, not a privilege.
The story
Where it comes from
In 2018 the UN General Assembly proclaimed 24 January the International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. The day rests on a promise made long before: article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls for free and compulsory elementary education, and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child asks countries to make higher education accessible to all. UNESCO leads the day, under the conviction that education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.
How it's celebrated
UNESCO and the UN hold events and publish new findings on who is learning and who is being left out, and schools, universities and youth groups take part around the world. For everyone else it is a day to thank a teacher, encourage a student, or give a book to a child.
Did you know
- UNESCO estimates that 250 million children and young people are out of school and 763 million adults cannot read or write.
- Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030.
- The UN counts education as essential to the success of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, not only the one about schools.
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