Why a Country in a “Learning Crisis” Should Rethink How It Celebrates the International Day of Education

Every January, the International Day of Education invites countries around the world to celebrate learning, on which progress was made and how much learning access has expanded across all ages. In the Philippines, we often claim that education is the cure to many ills our country faces. We also insist that the youth are our hope. But hope, when left unsupported, becomes an unfair expectation. Is it right to demand so much from young people when meaningful action from the rest of society remains insufficient? But in a country struggling with a “learning crisis”, the question is not how loudly we celebrate, but what exactly are we celebrating?

The Department of Education, in January 19, 2026, recognized that learning outcomes in Philippine schools are worsening as EDCOM II finds that student’s proficiency is steadily declining in an alarming low level by Senior High School. DepEd’s response is to create reforms in the early years, which shows that there is a growing recognition that unmet learning gaps in the early years become way harder to correct later on. The Philippines is not short on declarations about the importance of education such as these. We say that it is the solution to poverty, inequality and our successes. Yet behind these affirmations is a system struggling to look after whether children can read, understand and meaningfully participate in learning at the levels expected of them. 

Learning shouldn’t be followed by the word ‘crisis’ in the first place. The fact that it is, says less about our student’s capacity and more about the systems that continue to fail them. If the International Day of Education is to matter in a country facing a learning crisis, it must disrupt comfort rather than reinforce it. It should push policymakers beyond symbolic commitments and challenge the rest of society to share responsibility for educational outcomes.

This does not mean the International Day of Education should be disregarded and that we should not celebrate our achievements throughout the years. But rather, it should be reimagined. For a country facing persistent learning gaps, the day should function less as a day of victory and more as a reflection, a time to confront uncomfortable truths about who is being served by the education system and who is not.

And yet, in the midst of this crisis, young people continue to act. Students tutor their friends, organize community learning initiatives, advocate for reforms, volunteer in educational efforts. You see young people show up more than those who are expected to do the most.  Their efforts are admirable, but it also reveals a reality, that young people are often forced to step up and carry the responsibilities that institutions have failed to uphold. If they themselves are taking over and stepping forward, the rest of society must do more than applaud. We must stand with them, provide support and remove barriers they should never have had to overcome alone. Students should be preoccupied with homework and deadlines, not burdened by the fear whether the system will fail them before they even reach graduation. 

Education remains and will always be the most powerful tool in order for a country to thrive, but only when inequality is confronted honestly and solutions are designed with care. The International Day of Education should not simply be a reminder of what education promises or whether how far we are, but of how far we still have to go.