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: 

1. Right to be alive

2. Right to be registered and given an official name when born

3. Right to their identity

4. Right to give their opinion freely on issues that affect them

5. Right to share thoughts freely

6. Right to privacy

7. Right to information

8. Right to quality health

9. Right to food, cloth, and shelter

10. Right to education

11. Right to religion, culture, and language

12. Right to rest, play, and arts

13. Right to be protected from exploitation

14. 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. 

Our commitment to providing inclusion and equality

According to UNICEF, 87% of children around the world are now attending school and ⅘ children were able to complete their primary school education – that’s incredible! Despite these great numbers globally, there are still 64 million children worldwide who are not in school, many of whom come from disadvantaged communities. 

Enrolling children in school can be difficult in many low-income countries due to a range of barriers and when enrolled, quality education is not guaranteed. Classes can be overcrowded; many schools still have limited to no internet connectivity or access to technology; and teachers are often stretched and do not have enough time to take professional development opportunities. As a result, the quality of learning is negatively impacted. A recent UNICEF study across 35 countries shows that 4 in 5 children do not have foundational reading skills at Grade 2 and 3 levels. When it comes to maths at those levels, this figure increases to 9 in 10 children who do not have foundational numeracy skills. 

To contribute to the vision brought forth by the Education 2030 Framework of Action and SDG 4, which is “Every Child Learns,” the Breteau Foundation is determined to provide all children, regardless of their background or location, with access to quality education through our teacher training, educational content & resources. We have achieved rapid expansion over the last year through our commitment and growing network of partners and supporters, and this year, we celebrate a global reach of 100,000+ children, 11,000+ teachers, and 280 schools across 19 countries. In the New Year, we have bigger goals to reach 1 million children with our new Plastics Project and we encourage all of you to join us in achieving this goal.