Today is the International Day of Education, a day established to celebrate and highlight the importance of education in our society.
While having access to education is paramount and a basic human right, there are many people around the world, who do not have access to a school or a teacher. Millions of children are out of school and many more adults are illiterate. Things are changing, as all over the world younger generations are more literate than their parents and grandparents but there is still much room for improvement. As for the gender gap in education, while it is closing – we can observe a significant change in the last decade, even in European countries, it still exists.
According to UNESCO, Today, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate. When such a basic right is violated, it’s time to transform education!
This year’s theme is education for lasting peace. Education gives us the tools to broaden our horizons, develop a better understanding of the world around us, to understand and accept others, thereby empowering us to serve as catalysts for peace in our communities.
Ensuring access to education for all is a responsibility we have towards each other as a global community and the International Day of Education is a day to reflect and to spark discussions on how to make this a reality.
