January 24th: International Day of Education - “Learning for lasting peace”

The 24th of January is the International Day of Education and it is essential to recognise the value of education in promoting peace and development. This year, “learning for lasting peace” is the key message. Education is pivotal when working towards peace and eradicating violence, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech.

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes education as a human right. Everyone has a right to free and compulsory elementary education.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child further addresses education. It requires states to encourage secondary general and vocational education, which is essential for the development of children.

Moreover, as enshrined in Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, inclusive and equitable quality education must be ensured so that everyone can access learning opportunities.

However, the current situation does not appear satisfactory and challenges are still present nowadays. In the world, 244 million children and adolescents do not obtain education and the number of those who cannot read and don’t have a basic math knowledge rises to 617 million. The state of affairs is worse when addressing the situation of girls.

These numbers show how violations of the right to education are still happening and countries must work towards a more inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Education is not only a human right; it is a public good and a social responsibility.