With the 2030 target year for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) approaching, the global education community faces a critical reality: 273 million children, adolescents, and youth remain out of school. Globally, 1 in 3 young people still does not complete secondary education. In Eastern and South-Eastern Asia alone, over 77 million children and youth remain excluded from upper secondary education. Educational inequity is a systemic crisis that cannot be resolved by any single institution, sector, or country alone.

The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) Thailand and the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok), within the framework of the Equitable Education Alliance (EEA), cordially invite policymakers, education practitioners, researchers, civil society organizations, youth delegates, and the public to the 4th International Conference on Equitable Education (All for Education / AFE Conference). The conference will be convened in a hybrid format on 23–24 October 2026 at the IMPACT Forum, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand, and livestreamed globally via the official conference portal.

4 Interlinked Pillars: Designing Equitable Solutions for Out-of-School Children and Youth

Held alongside the 7th Princess Maha Chakri Award (PMCA) Forum, the conference serves as a strategic regional platform to accelerate progress toward SDG 4, focusing on 4 key pillars:

1. Flexible Learning Pathways

Addressing rigid education systems that fail to accommodate learners’ realities—such as work, migration, or crisis contexts—by expanding flexible, alternative, and blended learning pathways across formal and non-formal settings to support re-engagement, retention, and completion.

2. Data and Early Warning Systems

Leveraging integrated data systems, learning analytics, and AI-integrated approaches to detect early risk indicators, improve timely interventions, and prevent dropout before learners become disconnected from education.

3. Equitable and Sustainable Financing Policies

Advancing equity-oriented financing mechanisms and innovative resource allocation models to ensure public investments and support effectively reach those most in need.

4. Strengthening Multisectoral Collaboration

Mobilizing cross-sector partnerships across governments, civil society, the private sector, development partners, and young people to coordinate efforts and holistically address structural barriers around out-of-school children and youth.

Insights from Over 40 International Thought Leaders and Change-Makers

Gain evidence-informed insights, field-tested innovations, and policy perspectives from more than 40 high-level speakers, international experts, PMCA recipient teachers, and youth leaders representing UNESCO, UNICEF, OECD, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the private sector. The outcomes and recommendations generated will directly feed into regional and global education agendas, notably the 7th Asia-Pacific Meeting on Education (APMED7) in 2027.

Conference Details and Participation

Date & Time: Friday, 23 October – Saturday, 24 October 2026 | 09:00 – 17:00 (UTC+7 / Bangkok Time)

Format: Hybrid Conference (In-person at IMPACT Forum and Online Live Streaming)

Languages: Bilingual (English and Thai with simultaneous interpretation, and Thai Sign Language)

Online Registration: https://afe2026.eef.or.th/register (Complimentary admission / Free of charge)

E-Certificate Eligibility Criteria:

An electronic Certificate of Attendance (e-Certificate) will be awarded to registered participants who attend the live sessions via the official conference portal on both days, with a minimum logged attendance of 75 minutes per day.

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Tomorrow’s equity cannot be designed in isolation. It requires our collective commitment, co-creation, and action under the spirit of “All for Education.” Join us in shaping an inclusive future and restoring learning opportunities for every child and young person today.