The International Day of Education is celebrated each year on 24 January, with the United Nations General Assembly acknowledging the significant part that education plays in global development and peace. Inclusivity and having opportunities available for all are crucial in ensuring the universal right to education is maintained. Addressing challenges and barriers to education will not only tackle inequalities but will also help to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking about the importance of education, Professor Rebecca Lawthom, Head of the School of Education in the Faculty of Social Sciences, said:
“The International Day of Education is an important reminder to pause and consider the ways in which education is a right but not always a given. In the School of Education, across educational delivery and research, we are committed to ensuring that education is both inclusive and that we conceive of education across the lifecourse. Our Maker{Futures} work is an inclusive outreach example of a commitment to enabling STEM interest and ambition in schools, community centres and museums. Our Lost Wor(l)ds project uses heritage languages spoken by 20% of children to conceive of multiple languages across home, school and community. Here we normalise and recognise the richness and potential of culture and language to build communities and open education to those whose home language is not English. We are always learning and privileged within our School to work with our global community of scholars, sharing skills and knowledge rooted in social justice.”
The Faculty of Social Sciences is committed to educating our students within a community of creativity and ambition, and to supporting them to achieve their potential. We are proud of our graduates’ achievements and of the journeys that their education has taken them on beyond the classroom.