International Day of Education: Celebrating the power of knowledge

Education is the cornerstone of progress, empowerment, and equality. Recognising its transformative role, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education in 2018. This day celebrates the importance of education and its pivotal role in achieving sustainable development, fostering peace, and promoting global equality.

The idea for the International Day of Education originated from the United Nations’ commitment to achieving the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4): Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDG 4 emphasises the right to education for everyone, regardless of gender, socio-economic background, or geography.

On December 3, 2018, the UN General Assembly declared January 24 as a global observance to highlight education’s significance in eradicating poverty, fostering innovation, and building resilient communities. This observance encourages stakeholders, including governments, organisations, and individuals, to take collective action to address educational disparities.

Significance of the day

The International Day of Education is a reminder that education is not just a human right but a driving force for individual and societal transformation. It fosters peace by promoting tolerance and understanding among diverse communities. Moreover, education is a vital economic driver, as studies show that each year of schooling increases an individual’s income by approximately 10%.

For nations, investment in education leads to improved GDP growth, innovation, and social stability. For individuals, it means greater opportunities, self-reliance, and the ability to contribute to the community.

The purpose the day serves

The International Day of Education serves several essential purposes:

1. Advocating for Universal Education: The day underscores the urgency of ensuring access to quality education for all. Despite progress, over 244 million children and youth remain out of school worldwide, and gender inequality continues to persist in many regions.
2. Promoting Lifelong Learning: Education is not confined to childhood. Lifelong learning opportunities empower individuals to adapt to evolving challenges, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to society.
3. Driving Social Change: Education is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting gender equality, and fostering tolerance. It equips individuals with the skills to address global issues like climate change, inequality, and conflicts.
4. Fostering Innovation: By nurturing creativity and critical thinking, education helps shape innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs who can solve modern challenges.

Each year, the International Day of Education focuses on a specific theme to address emerging global challenges. For 2025, the theme is Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future. This theme highlights the role of education in preparing young minds to lead the way toward a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient world.

Educational trends shaping the global landscape include

• EdTech and Digital Learning: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital education. Virtual classrooms, e-learning platforms, and artificial intelligence in education have become central to reaching marginalized communities and ensuring continuity in learning.
• Inclusive Education: Efforts are being made to integrate students with disabilities, linguistic minorities, and economically disadvantaged groups into mainstream education.
• Climate Literacy: As climate change poses an existential threat, schools are increasingly incorporating environmental education to raise awareness and empower students to take action.
• Skills-Based Education: There is a growing focus on equipping students with practical skills such as coding, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship to prepare them for the workforce.