UN International Day of Education Commemoration

Education as a new societal contract. This year’s International Day of Education, under the theme “Changing Course, Transforming Education” calls for a new social contract for education to help  address the many societal ills facing today’s generation and transform the lifestyles or ways of being to create a more sustainable future for all life forms on the planet. Education is crucial for the urgent changes needed on the planet to safeguard our livelihoods and to overcome the pandemic. However, we need to address education in a different light and as a public good to make considerable progress and for education systems to become important and relevant partners in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In November 2021, UNESCO launched Reimagining our Futures Together: a new social contract, a report that took two years and a global consultation process engaging approximately one million people to create. This year’s International Day of Education is the first opportunity at York University to discuss this new concept of education as a social contract, going further than the traditional perspective of individual development to address our common and collective concerns as well, building a just and sustainable future for all.