International Day of Education

According to UNESCO, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate. Children who aren’t getting an education are more vulnerable to exploitation, child marriage, and lower earning potential. There are millions of boys and girls who are in school, but they’re facing other issues like having poorly trained teachers and a lack of school resources. All of this hinders their ability to reach their God-given potential.

As an international education charity, World Vision is working with communities to address barriers to education. Learn about the International Day of Education and how you can join World Vision supporters to improve child literacy rates.

When is the International Day of Education?

The International Day of Education 2025 is on Friday 24 January.

First observed in 2019 and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, International Education Day falls on 24 January annually.

What is the International Day of Education?

The International Education Day helps to shine a light on children who are missing out on receiving the education they deserve, as well as celebrating the role of education and its importance in the world.

We believe education is a human right, which is why we partner with local governments to ensure communities are empowered to provide a quality education for their children. The United Nations recognises that improving access to education is essential for reaching the global Sustainable Development Goals.

Two Kenyan children wearing school uniform and taking part in new e-learning activities on a tablet — Children in Kenya are taking part in the diverse tutorials and e-learning materials, thanks to World Vision's digital learning literacy project.

Facts about children's education

300 million

children will lack basic numeracy and literacy skills by 2030.

5 million

Ukrainian children have had their education disrupted by conflict

129 million

girls are out of education worldwide

Your support is transforming lives

The role of education in a child’s life is transformative. Education will empower children to break the cycle of poverty and build a promising future.

Helping children, especially girls, gain access to education is key to World Vision’s work.

When young people receive inclusive and equitable, quality education, they have more – and better - opportunities to experience fullness of life Ensuring that families and communities have options to generate a self-sustaining income so that their children can continue in school is one of our main aims in Child Sponsorship.

But it’s not just World Vision’s direct work with the children and the communities that makes a difference. Those who sponsor - and write to their child - are transforming lives directly, as Thu’s story shows...

Read Thu's story

Growing up without her parents in northern Vietnam, 14-year-old Thu was relentlessly bullied. She became shy and withdrawn. But her sponsor’s letter of encouragement transformed her life. And now she’s planning on transforming her community too. This is Thu’s story…

Teenage girl from Vietnam writing on lined paper while sat at a desk

Child Sponsorship is changing lives

Growing up, I did not know what a mother’s love was. My parents separated when I was only one year old. My mother left me and never contacted me again. Sometime later, when I was three, my father also moved on in his life.

I was fully aware that I did not have a mother growing up. So I withdrew myself from everything and everyone. People made fun of me at school and even at home. They teased me that I was an ugly girl without a mother. I heard it so often that I truly believed it was my identity.

But when I was in grade 4, I became a sponsored child. Sending a letter to my sponsor was my first time writing to someone. I was so excited and delighted to know I had a friend. She was the first person I ever shared my dream with.

Vietnamese teenage girl holding school paperwork and smiling at her peers

My dream is to become a doctor

My sponsor wrote me a reply not long after that. In the letter, she wrote that she understood my dream and would be rooting for me to achieve it.

It was the first time I felt I had been listened to and understood. I folded the letter carefully and put it in my safe spot. After that, I re-read it almost every night before going to bed.

Unlike other girls my age, whose dream mainly is to marry a lovely husband who doesn’t drink, mine is to become a doctor. I want to work at health centres or, even better, hospitals to treat children, especially those who come from poor households like me.

READ MORE: Writing to your sponsored child

Vienamese girls gathered around a desk to study together at school

Now I know I am loved fully

I had a new friend and supporter, but the sponsorship programme also opened up other doors for me to step out of my shell.

Firstly, I was encouraged to join various activities where I was introduced to new friends and learned valuable skills.

Secondly, having good friends who understood me and loved me made me no longer afraid of going to school. When the pressure was removed, I realised that I like studying a lot. 

Thirdly, my family and I received outstanding care and attention from uncles and aunties at World Vision Vietnam, which lightened our burden and allowed me to continue going to school. World Vision aunties even came to my house and talked about school bullying and how I could cope with that. My home is now a place of comfort in which I know I am loved fully.

Vietnamese teenage girl standing next to a World Vision Vietnam staff member

Child Sponsorship opens doors

I have learned to channel my energy and focus on building up my capacity and empowering others.

What greatly motivates me going forward is that the efforts that I am making now will have a positive impact on others, whether big or small. I believe that when more people are equipped with knowledge and skills, the community will soon become a more progressive place.

My journey to arrive where I am today has been a dream in which my sponsor is my fairy godmother.

Being selected for the sponsorship programme has opened doors for me and given me wings to grow into a better human.

I now have a future and a life purpose of contributing to my community to create an excellent life for all members.

Together, we can help children like Thu

Thanks to our amazing supporters, we can help children get an education in the world’s hardest places. But it wouldn’t be possible without you. When you sponsor a child like Thu, you’re helping transform a child’s life – and even whole communities. As a Christian charity, our aim is to support children to get the quality education they deserve, whether that’s through training teachers, providing educational materials or ensuring families are empowered to pay for their child’s school fees.

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