January 24, International Day of Education.
In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 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.
International Day of Education 2025 will be held under the theme, ‘AI and Education: Human Agency in an Automated World’. The Day encourages reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities to navigate, understand, and influence technological advancement.
The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all. When it adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the international community recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of its Goals. SDG 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has decided to dedicate International Education Day 2025 (Friday 24 January) to the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. UNESCO hosts an event to mark the Day at UN Headquarters in New York, the US.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela.
