In a fast-moving world, education must transform, but many children and young people across the world still don’t have access to the basics.
The International Day of Education takes place each year on 24th January. This United Nations-founded day is an opportunity to recognise education as a basic human right and a core public responsibility that drives peace, development and human dignity.
Education plays a crucial part in breaking poverty cycles, achieving gender equality and helping citizens to live better lives. However, despite all the progress that has been made across the world, there are still hundreds of millions of children, young people and adults who have no access to learning at all.
This year, UNESCO has chosen the theme, “The power of youth in co-creating education”. This demonstrates that young people are essential partners in shaping their futures. It also encourages the inclusion of young voices in the decision-making processes that will define their own educational pathways as they move forward in life.
Youth engagement is important
The 2026 theme acknowledges the rapid social and technological change happening in the world and that educational transformation is critical if we are to equip learners with the relevant skills and opportunities.
To mark this day, UNESCO and its partners are hosting a series of events, including a hybrid global forum at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and online youth-led conversations that showcase how students are driving progress, even in crisis-affected contexts. These events encourage dialogue across the generations and highlight youth agency in improving education systems worldwide.
How can you get involved?
Participation doesn’t require an official role. UNESCO encourages individuals, schools, organisations and communities to get involved in four impactful ways:
- host or support youth-focused events
- share personal visions of education on social media
- spread the message using the official #EducationDay campaign
- contribute examples of effective youth engagement in education.
A particularly engaging prompt supplied for this year asks: “If you were Minister of Education for a day, what change would you make first?” This question invites young people everywhere to think about the future of learning, their role in the world and how they would improve things for children’s education.
References
- International Day of Education. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day (Accessed 22 January 2026)
- International Day of Education: Youth and students leading education in crisis-affected contexts. Available at: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/international-day-education-youth-and-students-leading-education-crisis-affected-contexts?hub=66580 (Accessed 22 January 2026)
