In addition to these educational inequalities, they continue, there are other disparities that directly affect the integral development of children and young people around the world, such as limited access to new technologies, adequate nutrition or safe environments. ‘Going to school is much more than learning to read, write, add and subtract. Going to school means having the tools to face life, having critical skills and being freer. For this reason, education cannot be understood in isolation. When protection, nutrition or safety are lacking, the right to education is compromised, says Fr Luis Manuel Moral, Director of Misiones Salesianas.
One in four children lives in poverty, more than 160 million are forced to work and around 45 million are forcibly displaced, according to data from international agencies. As highlighted by Misiones Salesianas, these figures show that children’s rights continue to be systematically violated, especially in the poorest contexts.
Ensuring quality education is essential to reversing this reality. The theme of this year’s International Education Day, which is celebrated on Saturday 24 January – The power of young people in co-creating education – highlights the importance of listening to and empowering children and young people. ‘It is not just a question of giving them access to education, but also of making them protagonists in their own educational process,’ explain the Madrid Mission Office.
‘Education is the reason for our work,’ Misiones Salesianas says, ‘and a key tool in the fight against poverty and hunger. Salesian missionaries are active in 138 countries on five continents, accompanying the most vulnerable children and young people through schools, centres for vocational formation and socio-educational projects. More than 2.3 million children receive a person-centred education every year.‘
Over the past year, the organisation has developed 142 educational projects, with substantial investments. ’We firmly believe that education is the key tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, but a genuine commitment is needed to make it truly universal,’ emphasises Fr Moral.
On International Education Day, Misiones Salesianas therefore wishes to remind us that education is a collective commitment and a shared responsibility to build a more just, compassionate and sustainable world.
