STATEMENT: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION 24/JAN/2026

STATEMENT: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION 2026

The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) joined the international community in observing the International Day of Education, a day intended to celebrate the role of education in achieving peace and development.

ACHRS is particularly invested in this day and subject due to the close relationship between education and our priorities. Access to education progresses our priorities in the following ways:

1. Education advances women’s rights by providing them with the necessary capabilities to take up positions of leadership within society
2. Education advances youth rights by developing their capacities to be able to obtain meaningful employment and to hold positions of leadership
3. Education advances the rights of people with disabilities by allowing them to be integrated into society, along with reducing societal stigma against people with disabilities
4. An educated society is one that is likely to engage in the democratic process, and this has been confirmed by studies which have shown that more educated people are more likely to vote, and
5. An educated society is one that knows about their human rights, and is therefore able to identify and speak out against human rights violations.

In addition to progressing ACHRS’ priorities, the international community has also recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals. With the importance of education established, it is important to highlight challenges that hinder the access to education in the Arab Region.

Education gap between children from wealthy and poor families. There remains an unequal access to education between children from rich and poor families in the Arab Region. This gap is due to numerous socioeconomic factors, including the lack of access to resources, the lack of infrastructure in poorer communities, and negative coping mechanisms that discourage children from attending school.

Gender inequality. You are more likely to see males at schools due to gender inequality. This is due to a combination of cultural norms and poverty which often lead to girls dropping out of school and marrying before turning 18. Studies have shown that educated women are more likely to marry later, have fewer children, and invest more in their children’s education, which breaks intergenerational cycles of poverty.

Education gap between children in rural and urban areas. Attendance rates in rural areas are primarily influenced by limited coverage, long distances to attend school, a lack of available transport, economic challenges, and cultural practices that prioritize children assisting with family responsibilities or engaging in labor.

As education has been shown to offer children a route out of poverty, which in turn leads to social development and security, ACHRS calls on all states in the Arab Region to give effect to the right to education by:

1. Investing in physical infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, so as to ensure a greater access to education
2. Invest in digital infrastructure in both urban and rural schools
3. Invest in, and implement education programs that train teachers
4. Invest in studies to identify the various barriers faced by people with disabilities in obtaining an education, and
5. Invest in programs that promote the access to education for girls.

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