Press Release – “Shaping a just, peaceful & sustainable future” starts with Student Rights
“Shaping a just, peaceful & sustainable future” starts with Student Rights
As the educational community gathered throughout the previous week to engage in a variety of activities in the frame of the Global Education Week (GEW) 2025 under the theme “Shaping a just, peaceful & sustainable future“ the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) takes the opportunity at the closing of the week (24th of November) to once more call stakeholders to take all possible actions towards the recognition of the fundamental role school students play in this process.
The #GEW2025 kicked off on the 17th of November, composed of a series of events and marking a significant event for the education community globally. On Nov’17 we also commemorated the International Students’ Day, a date that historically serves as a reminder of student activism and resilience.
As OBESSU, we believe the convergence of these two events, the commemoration of student struggles and the global push for sustainable education, highlights a clear message: we cannot build a just future without empowering the students who will inhabit it.
The Meaning of Global Education Week 2025
In a world characterised by ongoing conflicts and crises, the theme of #GEW2025 resonates deeply with the European school student movement. Education must be the bedrock upon which we build peace and sustainability.
However, as outlined in the OBESSU Board’s Statement for the 17th of November, this potential can only be unlocked if students are guaranteed concrete rights and a seat at the decision-making table.
A Call to Action: The Declaration of School Student Rights
Commemorating International Students’ Day, the OBESSU Board emphasized that students are not merely passive beneficiaries of the school system but the “driving force of many social movements” and the “professionals and citizens of tomorrow.”
To transform the ambitious goals of Global Education Week into reality, as OBESSU we wish to point stakeholders and decision makers to the Declaration of School Student Rights (DSSR) as the necessary roadmap.
The DSSR lists essential rights that must be granted to every student in every country, including:
- The right to free high-quality education;
- The right to fair student representation;
- The right to assembly and protest.
“None of this is possible without granting them (students) concrete, precise and extensive students’ rights, because no school system is really impactful if it is not based, first of all, on its students’ perspectives… Granting students their rights means granting everyone a better future.”
Looking Forward
As the Global Education Week comes to a wrap, OBESSU calls on all European governments and EU institutions to move beyond rhetoric and fully adopt the Declaration.
By implementing these rights, we give students the tools they need to transform the world around them, ensuring that the “just, peaceful & sustainable future” we speak of this week becomes a lived reality for all.
Read the full 17th of November Board Statement HERE.
For more information contact policy@obessu.org
