On January 24 the “International Education Day” is celebrated, dedicated to the role that education plays in favor of peace and development and supporting transformative actions in favor of an inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.
By dedicating a particular day to education in the world, the international community is reaffirming the key role that education plays in building sustainable and resilient societies, and its contribution to the achievement of the rest of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .
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 primary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further by stipulating that countries must make higher education accessible to all.
Education is key to sustainable development
When the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, the international community recognized that education is essential to the success of its 17 goals. Goal number 4 of Sustainable Development has, specifically, as objective “to guarantee an inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by the year 2030.
