International Day of Education

Why is in news? UNESCO decides to dedicate International Day of Education on 24th January, 2024 to Afghan girls and women

UNESCO has decided to dedicate the International Day of Education on the 24th of January, 2024 to Afghan girls and women.

The director of UNESCO said that no country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education and it is a universal human right that must be respected. It is calling for the immediate lifting of the ban restricting their access to education.

She further said that the international community has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay.

According to UNESCO, currently, around 80 per cent of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school under the Taliban rule, as they denied them access to secondary schools and universities.

International Day of Education is an annual international observance day held on January 24 and is dedicated to education.

On December 3, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming January 24 as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for bringing global peace and sustainable development.

Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

Today, 244 million children and youth are out of school, and 771 million adults are illiterate. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. It's time to transform education.

The fifth International Day of Education will be celebrated on 24 January 2023 under the theme “to invest in people, prioritize education”.

Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this year’s Day will call for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action.

Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.