International Day of Education is an annual
international observance day held on January 24 and is dedicated to
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
. In 2018, the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...
(UNGA) adopted a resolution proclaiming January 24 as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for bringing
global peace
World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about.
Various relig ...
and
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
.
History
The UNGA's declaration of January 24 as the International Day of Education occurred on 3 December 2018. In collaboration with
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
to create the event were the permanent missions of five countries:
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
,
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, and
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. The first celebration of this event was the following month on 24 January 2019.
A succinct explanation of UNGA's broad aims in creating the International Day of Education is the following:
Education being one of the most important of the 17 sustainable goals laid down by the United Nations to transform the world, this day is celebrated every year since 2019 to draw attention of people, mobilize political will across the nations and generate resources towards education being an indispensable tool for building knowledgeable and sustainable communities. International day of education commemorates the acknowledgement and reinforcement of ‘Education’ being a basic need of every individual.'
Below is a list of International Day of Education topics from its first celebration in 2019 to 2025:
*2019: ''Education: A Key Driver for Inclusion and Empowerment''
*2020: ''Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace''
*2021: ''Reclaiming and Revitalizing Education for the COVID-19 Generation''
*2022: ''Turning the Tide, Transforming Education''
*2023: ''Investing in People, Prioritizing Education''
*2024: ''Learning for Lasting Peace''
*2025: ''Artificial Intelligence'' (but also listed as ''AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation'' by UNESCO)
See also
*
Teachers' Day
Teachers' Day is a special day for the appreciation of teachers. It may include celebrations to honor them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community tone in education. This is the primary reason why countries ce ...
*
Teacher's Oath
*
World Teachers' Day
World Teachers' Day is an international day held annually on 5 October to celebrate the work of teachers. Established in 1994, it commemorates the signing of recommendation by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations ...
References
{{reflist
External links
United Nations - International Day of EducationUNESCO - International Day of Education
United Nations days
January observances
Education events