
World Children's Day: a better future for every child
Written by Volunteer Gbemi Balogun
On World Children’s Day, alongside UNICEF and our allies, we want to celebrate the global achievements in education and how far the Foundation has come to progress against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 of providing access to quality education. We also want to remind educators and parents that it is a day to remember children’s rights and to help our own children to fulfil their potential.
What is World Children’s Day?
World Children’s Day, also known as Universal Children’s Day, was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th as an annual day of action for children by children. It is a day that children raise their voices on issues that matter to their generation, from climate change to education, mental health, and ending racism and discrimination, calling for adults to create a better future. It’s a chance to spread the word about the rights of children, which were made official by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1959.
Why World Children’s Day?
World Children’s Day is celebrated yearly in order to increase awareness of children’s rights which include:
Right to be alive
Right to be registered and given an official name when born
Right to their identity
Right to give their opinion freely on issues that affect them
Right to share thoughts freely
Right to privacy
Right to information
Right to quality health
Right to food, cloth, and shelter
Right to education
Right to religion, culture, and language
Right to rest, play, and arts
Right to be protected from exploitation
Right to get help and fair treatment
As a teacher, what can you do?
There are many things that you can do with your students to equip them with the tools, resources and knowledge to empower themselves and other students this World Children’s Day.
Take them through the journey of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by projecting and teaching the child-friendly version in class.
Let your students choose a clause from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and find ways for your students to express what this means to them or explain this to their peers.
Encourage them to step on the podium to Flip The Script and educate others on SDG4.