International Day of Education 2025; January 24th.

FORUM: “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation.“ International Day of Education 2025. Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24th as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. As computer and AI-driven systems become more sophisticated, the boundaries between human intention and machine-driven action often blur, raising critical questions about how to preserve, redefine, and, ideally, elevate human agency in an age of technological acceleration. Under the theme “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”, the 2025 edition will inspire reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. The International Day for Education 2025 aims to: • Examine new possibilities offered by AI, especially for teaching, learning, assessment and educational administration. • Promote the development of critical AI literacies by equipping educators and learners with the competencies needed to understand, use and influence AI technologies, in line with the UNESCO AI competency frameworks for teachers and students. • Ensure that AI complements, rather than replaces, the essential human elements of learning, including the cultivation of in-person relationships and emotional intelligence. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #EndLearningPoverty, #Education2030, #DayofEducation, #24January, #EducationforPeace, #Learningforpeace, #education, SDG4.

EVENT: Organized by UNESCO and the UN Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning, the International Day of Education 2025 will delve into the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in reshaping education and learning. By dedicating this year edition to artificial intelligence, UNESCO is aiming for a global discussion on the place of this technology within education. The Organization has scheduled conferences in Paris and New York, as well as a webinar.

On January 24th, the high-level event to celebrate the International Day of Education 2025 will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education and lifelong learning today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4. However, rapid technological developments inevitably bring multiple risks and challenges, which have so far outpaced policy debates and regulatory frameworks. Current policies on AI and lifelong learning often adopt an instrumental and technologically deterministic approach, prioritising efficiency over human development and agency. The participants will explore how education can help people understand and steer Artificial Intelligence to better ensure that they retain control over this new class of technology and are able to direct it towards desired objectives that respect human rights and advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Get the UNESCO’s concept note for the 2025 celebration, the agenda programme and watch the event!

Artificial Intelligence and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation.
24 January 2025: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm CET
Location:UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France, Room I
Arrangement type: In-Person and livestream
Concept note
Contact: X.Zheng M.Pagano
REGISTER

WEBINAR: On January 24th, 2025 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, a seminar and training entitled ‘Lifelong learning in the age of AI’ will be held online. The webinar will bring together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to revisit the idea of lifelong learning in the age of emerging technologies, with thematic focus on lifelong learning as a concept, workplace learning, digital competencies of adult educators, and bridging the grey digital divide. The Objectives of the event is to Discuss current trends, in policy, research, and innovative practices in emerging technologies such as AI and its relation to lifelong learning and the concept of agency; To Highlight the role of adult learning and education, in fostering digital competencies with a focus on adult educators and bridging the grey digital divide and to Engage educators and participants in interactive discussions and activities to foster a deeper understanding of AI and emerging technologies in adult education settings. The webinar is open to all interested stakeholders. Please register to participate!

“Artificial Intelligence and Education: Challenges and Opportunities”
24 January 2025: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST

Location: Trusteeship Chamber, UNHQ, New York, United States of America
Arrangement type: In person
Contact: ELISABETTA.CAPORASO
Good schools need good school leaders

Leadership is essential for quality education, seen as the second most important factor influencing learning outcomes. Effective leadership occurs at various levels, including within schools and in government.

PUBLICATION: The latest edition of the examines the Global Education Monitoring Report requirements for good educational leadership, highlighting how they differ across countries and change over time. It explores the visions driving leadership, practices that lead to improved education outcomes, and the impact of external social, cultural, and governance factors on effective leadership.

LIVESTREAM: Under the theme of International Day of Education 2025, "Preserving human agency in a world of automation", UNESCO is organizing a global event in New York to spotlight the dynamic interplay between AI and education.

How AI technologies are revolutionizing teaching and learning practices, while education, in turn, serves as a guiding force to ensure that AI is ethical, inclusive, and aligned with human values?

More particularly, the event aims to:

• Encourage reimagining education in an age of AI and welcome new and improved possibilities for teaching, learning, school environments, curriculum, educational organization and assessment.
• Promote critical AI literacies by discussing how educators and learners can be empowered with the competencies needed to understand, assess and influence AI technologies, in line with the guidance contained in the UNESCO AI Competency Frameworks for Teachers and Students.
• Advocate for a human-centered approach to AI integration in education, i.e. an approach that prioritizes human control, transparency, and accountability in AI design and deployment, while ensuring it serves to expand human capabilities, uphold human dignity and agency, and promote justice and sustainability throughout its entire life cycle.
• Ensure that AI complements, rather than replaces, the essential human elements of learning, including the cultivation of in-person relationships and emotional intelligence

International Day of Education 2024; January 24th.

FORUM: “Learning for lasting peace.“ International Day of Education 2024. The world is seeing a surge of violent conflicts paralleled by a concerning rise of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech. According to the Global Peace Index 2023, the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the 13th time in the last 15 years. 2022 was recorded as the deadliest year since 1994, the year of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the Yugoslav wars. In 2022, the overall global economic impact of violence increased by USD 1 trillion to a total of about 17.5 trillion, almost a quarter of global GDP. In our interconnected and interdependent world, these numbers do not capture the magnitude of human suffering, nor of the shocks they cause to the societal fabric around the world. The impact of conflicts is felt far beyond war zones and transcends any boundary based on geography, gender, race, religion, politics, offline and online, and leaves a legacy of traumas. Hate speech, in particular, not only causes harm at the personal level and can incite group-targeted violence: it is also an attack on inclusion, diversity and human rights. In this context, an active commitment to peace is more urgent than ever. This commitment ought to surpass security and defense measures to prevent or stop conflicts, for peace does not begin where violence ends. Sustaining peace requires a strong foundation of inclusive, democratic and participatory governance, dialogue, solidarity, mutual understanding and cooperation, sustainable development, gender equality and the general realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Education is key to this endeavor. This pertinent role of education should reverberate in the ongoing negotiations towards a Pact for the Future to be launched at the Summit of the Future in 2024. The Education for peace needs to be transformative at its core, as jointly underlined by the UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, and the report of the International Commission on the Futures of Education which calls for a new social contract for education. Anchored on a strong foundation of accessibility, equity and quality, education, especially when mainstreamed in global peacebuilding efforts, can play a protective role when there is a continuity of learning, especially for those marginalized during conflict. Education can also contribute to redressing inequities inequalities and injustices by ensuring that all learners are represented and recognized in all facets of education. Lastly, it can facilitate post-conflict recovery justice and reconciliation. Education placed at the center of our commitment to peace can help empower learners with the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes and skills and behaviours to become agents of peace in their immediate communities. As conceptualized in UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education, these defenses of peace include cognitive, social and emotional skills, and behavioural competencies to, for example, address issues ranging from hate speech and discrimination to all violent conflicts. The International Day of Education 2024 aims to:

• Mobilize Member States and partners to maintain education at the top of the political agenda and deliver on their TES and Education 2030 commitments;
• Generate visibility at the local and global levels on the importance of education in strengthening and sustaining peace, as outlined in SDG4 Target 4.7, and other global education efforts;
• Advocate for higher levels of domestic and international financing for education in general, and education for peace in particular, especially through innovative and multi-stakeholder mechanisms and partnerships;
• Highlight and celebrate the peacemaking role of youth and educators in and through education towards just, inclusive and peaceful societies;
• Provide a platform to discuss priorities and challenges for education for peace in contexts of increased protracted global crisis and conflicts;
• Rally influencers and the wider civil society to push forward the movement to bring education into the center of local national regional and global peacebuilding efforts;
• Raise awareness for effective approaches in education for peace and mobilize commitment for their implementation.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #EndLearningPoverty, #Education2030, #DayofEducation, #24January, #EducationforPeace, #Learningforpeace, #education, SDG4.

EVENTS: On January 24th, the celebration of the International Day of Education 2024 with the theme “Learning for lasting peace.” will be held at UNESCO Heaquaters in Paris. Learning for peace must be transformative, and help empower learners with the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes and skills and behaviours to become agents of peace in their communities. A transformed and well-resourced education system can be an effective long-term preventative tool that protect, build and sustain peace before, during and after conflict. Before conflict, such an education can lay the preventative foundations that make conflicts difficult to erupt by helping all learners realize their fundamental human right to accessible and equitable quality education. Read UNESCO’s concept note for the 2024 celebration, download the programme and watch the event.

STATEMENTS: Read the Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General on International Day of Education 2024; January 24th and the Statement of the Director-General of the UNESCO on International Day of Education 2024; January 24th.




HIGHT LEVEL EVENT: Learning for lasting peace - International Day of Education 2024  at ECOSOC Chamber, UNHQ. Livestream

International Day of Education 2023; January 24th.

THEME: "To invest in people, prioritize education." International Day of Education 2023.

The International Day will call on governments, the international community and key stakeholders to stand by their commitments to prioritize investment in education and educational transformation in order to reverse the down sliding on the SDGs and unlock accelerated progress. This call will be supported by a social media activation that will rally global influencers, including youth champions.

Statement by the U.N. Secreatry-General on International Day of Education 20203; January 24th.

Education is a fundamental human right.

It’s the bedrock of societies, economies, and every person’s potential.

But without adequate investment, this potential will wither on the vine.

It has always been shocking to me that education has been given such a low priority in many government policies and in international cooperation instruments.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Education reminds us that “to invest in people, prioritize education.”

Investment is critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Last year’s Transforming Education Summit gathered the world together to reimagine education systems so every learner accesses the knowledge and skills required to succeed.

Over 130 countries made commitments to ensure that universal quality education becomes a central pillar of public policies and investments.

A Call to Action on Educational Investment and the establishment of the International Financing Facility for Education created a fresh push on domestic and international financing.

And the Summit launched a range of global initiatives to mobilize support for education in crises settings, girls’ education, foundational learning, transforming teaching, digital tools, and green education systems.

Now is the time for all countries to translate their Summit commitments into concrete actions that create supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students.

Now is also the time to end all discriminatory laws and practices that hinder access to education. I call on the de facto authorities in Afghanistan in particular to reverse the outrageous and self-defeating ban on access to secondary and higher education for girls.

I also encourage countries to place education at the heart of preparations for the SDG Summit in 2023 and the Summit of the Future in 2024.

Most of all, I urge civil society and youth to continue calling for more and better investment in quality education.

Let’s keep the flame of transformation burning.

Let’s deliver education systems that can support equal societies, dynamic economies and the limitless dreams of every learner in the world.

António Guterres; U.N. Secretary-General.

Statement by the Director-General of the UNESCO on International Day of Education 2023; January 24th.

“Everyone has the right to education.” This 24 January, it is more important than ever for UNESCO  to  remind  everyone  of  the  value  and  importance  of  these  few  words  taken  from article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Despite the importance of this statement, the fundamental right to education is still far from  being  a  reality  for  all  the  girls  and  boys  in  the  world.  According  to  our  data,  244 million of them are still out of school this year. In particular, UNESCO would like to dedicate the fifth edition of this International Day to all the girls and women in Afghanistan, who have been denied their right to learn, study and teach. The Organization condemns this serious attack on human dignity and on the fundamental right to education. UNESCO has been tirelessly calling for the immediate restoration of the right to education for all girls and young women in Afghanistan.Our organization, in close liaison with the country’s communities, continues to work in Afghanistan to secure the continuity of education, whether by means of literacy courses or  by  mobilizing  the  power  of  radio,  a  medium  able  to  reach  people  directly  in  their  homes. UNESCO also remains the primary source for the monitoring of education data in Afghanistan, particularly data related to higher education. We will continue to mobilize the  international  community  in  order  to  uphold  Afghan  girls’  and  women’s  right  to  education.We must not forget, however, that throughout the world, even for those fortunate enough to  be  in  school,  grave  concerns  persist.  For  example,  in  low-  and  middle-income countries, seven out of ten children are still unable to read and understand a simple text at the age of 10 years.This is why, in recent months, UNESCO has been working to strengthen international mobilization  to  ensure  the  quality  of  education.  We  need  to  adapt  education  to  the  challenges  of  our  times,  particularly  by  acting  on  the  conclusions  stemming  from  the Futures  of  Education  initiative, which  calls  for  a  new  social  contract  through  and  for  education.At  the  World  Conference  on  Higher  Education held  in  Barcelona  last  May,  the  International Conference on Adult Education held in Marrakech last June, and the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education held in Tashkent last November, UNESCO  and  its  Member  States  together  made  new  commitments  to  transforming  education for every age.In September, this international mobilization culminated with the Transforming Education Summit  (TES),  which  was  convened  by  the  Secretary-General  of  the  United  Nations, António Guterres. The TES led more than 130 States to make firm commitments

Now we must translate these commitments into action – and UNESCO will continue to coordinate the international community’s efforts to ensure quality education for all. On  this  day,  UNESCO  is  urging  one  and  all  to  defend  –  everywhere  and  always  –  a universal  and  fundamental  right  which  is  the  best  lever  for  ensuring development: education.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

EVENTS: Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this year’s Day calls for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and charting 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.

The International Day of Education on 24 January 2023 is dedicated to Afghan women and girls.

Read UNESCO’s concept note for the 2023 celebration and download the programme. 

OBJECTIVES

The Global campaign to mark the International Day for Education 2023 aims to:

• Generate visibility from local to global level on prioritizing education to reach the SDGs ahead of the SDG Summit, building on the outcomes of the TES 
• Promote and showcase the national statements of commitment at country level and mobilize political and financial support for translating them into action
• Encourage wide take-up of the global initiatives launches at the TES to accelerate foundational learning, get every learner climate ready through greening education, promote public digital learning, advance gender equality in and through education and ensure learning continuity in situations of emergency and protracted crisis 
• Advocate for higher levels of domestic and international financing, including through innovative sources, building on commitments at the TES. 
• Provide youth a platform to build on the TES youth declaration, relay their demands and showcase their initiatives and innovations to advance the right to education 
•  Rally influencers to push forward the global education movement calling on world leaders to stand by their commitments and prioritize investment in education and educational transformation