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Education is the foundation to skills development and jobs, and the surest way out of poverty, empowering generations to earn an income and drive economic growth. A good education equips learners with key foundational skills—literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional competencies—which are essential for work and life. These skills help today’s children become tomorrow’s productive workers and enable workers to reskill or upskill later in life. The World Bank Group is the largest financier of education in the developing world, with a $26.4 billion portfolio across 81 countries, supporting 324 million students to date with better education.
On this International Day of Education, we look at why education works, and how it helps propel people out of poverty, putting economies on a path to growth.
Education Worksfor people, economies, and future generations:
Early learning shapes the skills that last a lifetime.
70% of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read with understanding by age 10.
By 2030, 60% of workers will need retraining. Education systems must help people keep up as jobs evolve.
The World Bank Group is the largest financier of education in developing countries, with a $26.4 billion portfolio across 81 countries.
Each extra year of education amounts to 10% higher future earnings. The World Bank Group has supported 324.5 million students with better education.
Education Works to help regions prosper
Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor and Acting Global Director for Education and Skills at the World Bank, shares how countries are boosting foundational learning through partnerships and new financing models. From tackling learning poverty to building digital and job‑relevant skills, discover practical solutions shaping Africa’s future:
Training and career counseling for wage employment to 280,000 youth
Equipping youth with hands-on training & industry-ready skills
Aligning programs with employer needs so graduates find work faster
Equipping students and teachers with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy
Strengthening the link between learning and employment
Shaping learning innovations for better jobs
Promoting school-to-work transitions and expanding access to technical and vocational training
The 2025 International Day of Education inspires reflectionson the power of education to equip individuals and communities navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. This year the focus is "AI and Education: Preserving Agency in a World of Automation.”
Digital technologies are permeating education at unprecedented speed and scale. The possibilities of using digital solutions to enhance teaching and learning, and to revolutionize educational processes bring opportunities and challenges. On #EducationDay, we explore how countries can leverage digital solutions to build equitable, relevant, and resilient education systems with a positive impact on learning outcomes.
Empowering Adolescent Girls: The Agency to Navigate Digital Technologies
watch recording | view presentation (PDF)
Jan 22, 2025 -- Global experts discussed how digital technologies can bridge the gender divide, the potential risks they present for adolescent girls, and the critical role that education and digital literacy can play in mitigating those risks. The discussion highlighted effective practices and innovative solutions to empower adolescent girls to harness technology responsibly.
PUBLICATION: Digital Pathways for Education: Enabling Greater Impact for All
Download Report [PDF]
EVENT: Report Launch
How can countries leverage digital solutions to build equitable, relevant, and resilient education systems with a positive impact on learning outcomes? The event and publication address what policymakers can do when undertaking digital transformation reforms in education and skills development systems.
Blogs:
100 student voices on AI and education
From fear to opportunity: Making AI work for education
Two visions for EdTech: Lessons from yesterday for the technology of tomorrow
AI should amplify educational capabilities, not replace them (ES)
Digital Transformation in Cabo Verde: The New Horizon
From chalkboards to chatbots in Nigeria: 7 lessons to pioneer generative AI for education
EdTech hope or hype? Insights from East Asia Pacific
A more humane education in the era of artificial intelligence
From the horse’s mouth: Technical education is a changer for girls interested in STEM
Protecting women and girls from cyber harassment: a global assessment
Publication: Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Education
Report: Online Violence Against Young Female Workers: Risks, Threats and Mitigation Strategies
International Day of Education is a chance to remember that learning begins well before children enter school. All children deserve to benefit from the power of books and stories. Making books available to all children is essential if we are to end learning poverty and equip children with the skills they need to succeed in the jobs of the future. |
#StartTheStory with us!
To mark The International Day of Education on January 24, 2024, the hashtag #StartTheStory on social media highlighted the pivotal power that books, stories, and reading materials have in transforming lives and building better futures.
CALLING ALL READERS! What book made you a reader? #EducationDay is Jan 24. To celebrate, share your favorite childhood book using #StartTheStory. Let's spark the joy of reading for all children everywhere![tweetquote:[tweetText=CALLING ALL READERS! What book made you a reader? #EducationDay is Jan 24. To celebrate, share your favorite childhood book using #StartTheStory. Let's spark the joy of reading for all children everywhere!,tweetData=WorldBank,tweetHash=WBG_Education]]
Reading with Children Matters
Becoming a reader is a complex process which requires lots of support and practice. Children who grow up in homes with lots of books and being read to regularly are at an advantage compared to kids in bookless homes.
However, only 2 percent of children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa are growing up with three or more children’s books in their homes. Seventy percent of children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand an age-appropriate passage by age 10 (a situation we call learning poverty). Learning poverty wastes young peoples’ potential, impacts future workforces and ultimately, erodes countries’ economic competitiveness.
The World Bank's Approach
Between FY19-FY23, World Bank Group-supported educational programs that benefited close to 500 million students globally, including 53 million in countries affected by fragility and conflict. |
Through the Read@Home initiative, the World Bank is working with governments and other partners in 18 countries so far to expand access to quality reading and learning materials, reduce the cost of procuring and distributing books, and support parents and caregivers from the most vulnerable households to engage with their children’s learning.
In 2020, the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FCDO, UNICEF, and USAID launched the Accelerator Program which coordinates efforts across the partners to ensure that the countries in the Program are showing improvements in foundational skills at scale over the next three to five years. The Accelerator Program acknowledges a global cohort of countries or sub-national entities that 1) demonstrate strong political and financial commitment to improved learning, 2) are willing to measure and monitor learning outcomes, and 3) have an investment plan to reduce learning poverty.
The World Bank is also working closely with UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and GPE as the Coalition for Foundational Learning to advocate and provide technical support to ensure foundational learning. The World Bank works with these partners to promote and endorse the Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning, a global network of countries committed to halving the global share of children unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10 by 2030.
Join the conversation on how to #InvestInPeople to create jobs, drive economic growth, and unlock opportunities.
Resources
Topic: Education
Topic: Foundational Learning
Topic: Skills Development
Topic: Education Finance
