OMEP 2026: The Conference That Asks the World to Finally Listen to Its Children

The idea of hosting a conference on global education in Poland in the summer of 2026 seems subtly rebellious. Poznań carries a lot of weight—historical, moral, and nearly intolerable—and the OMEP 2026 organizers are well aware of this. This location was chosen for its airport connections rather than being a generic conference venue. It is an intentional act of memory.

The 78th World Assembly and Conference of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education will take place in a city close to the locations where Janusz Korczak spent a significant portion of his life developing the notion that children are not tiny adults just waiting to grow up. Right now, they are actual people. deserving of respect, a voice, and the fundamental democratic right to be heard.

In 1942, Korczak passed away. He was a Polish-Jewish writer, educator, and pediatrician who oversaw children’s homes in Warsaw and penned books that served as manifestos in their own right. He was given the opportunity to flee when the Nazis destroyed the Warsaw Ghetto. He declined. He continued to walk toward Treblinka with his kids, where they were all murdered. That narrative, that decision, is central to the purpose of OMEP 2026. It is its focal point.

OMEP members will visit the Treblinka Museum for the pre-conference event on July 13. In a “Korczak Forest,” trees bearing quotations will be planted, each of which will represent a national committee. It’s a somber gesture that might have a greater impact on some attendees than any lecture. No policy paper can match the feeling of holding a small tree while standing in a location with that kind of history.

The conference’s theme, “When a Child Speaks…” Korczak’s Inspirations for Education and Children’s Rights, is taken directly from Korczak’s philosophy and is accessible to the general public starting on July 16. The title has a soft tone. Really, it isn’t. A subtle criticism of the way education systems have historically functioned—talking at kids, building institutions for adult convenience, and measuring what is simple to measure rather than what matters—is buried in those words. When a child speaks, does anyone really listen? This is the pointed question that is implied.

Key Information: OMEP 2026

Teachers, researchers, policymakers, and advocates from dozens of nations will come together for OMEP 2026. Only universities in Sweden, Japan, Argentina, Australia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Canada are represented on the scientific committee. This breadth is important. Although the problems with early childhood education in Scandinavia differ from those in Southeast Asia or South America, they are all characterized by persistent inequalities in access, chronic underfunding, and the persistent undervaluation of educators. Although it’s still unclear if a single statement can change policy in such disparate political contexts, the endeavor to speak with a single voice is significant in and of itself.

The conference is structured around seven themes that are highly relevant to this specific time. The child is one of the subjects of rights. Korczak made it clear that humiliation and punishment had no place in a classroom worthy of the name. Instead, education is based on empathy rather than fear. For decades, serious educators have fought to protect play from the intrusion of standardized testing and early academic pressure. Additionally, there is what the organizers refer to as “Education for Sustainability and Peace,” which connects early childhood education to the climate crisis and a conflict-ridden culture that is becoming more and more difficult to ignore in 2026.

Perhaps because it isn’t discussed as much elsewhere, one theme sticks out: “Teachers as Human Rights Defenders.” not instructors as teachers. not suppliers of services. Those who stand between a child and a system that could otherwise let them down. It feels important to see this framing take off. Korczak would have realized right away that what takes place in a nursery classroom is not distinct from the greater endeavor of creating a just society.

The World Assembly, which is restricted to OMEP members and will take place at Adam Mickiewicz University before the public conference, will talk about strategic direction and governance. These institutional procedures are important. The Poznań Declaration 2026, a collective statement on children’s rights, inclusion, and the role of early education in sustainable development, is anticipated to be produced by the conference. OMEP has developed a relationship with UNESCO and UNICEF over many years. It’s never clear if declarations result in changes to policy. However, they influence the discourse, and that is not insignificant.

One of OMEP’s more tangible contributions is represented by the 8th Annual Education for Sustainable Development Student Award. Over 185,000 children, tens of thousands of teachers, and families from thirty countries have participated in projects submitted to this competition since 2010. Poznań will host the 2026 winners’ presentation. It’s a minor detail, but it’s important because it indicates that more than just academics are attending the conference. In the background of those presentations, there are real kids practicing.

The sense of urgency that permeates this gathering is difficult to ignore. The goal of universal access to high-quality early childhood care is still far from being achieved in many parts of the world as the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda approaches its final years. Families are being uprooted by wars. The gap between rich and poor is growing. The majority of educational systems are unable to keep up with, let alone direct, the rapid digital transformation of childhood. In the midst of all of this, OMEP 2026 brings with it Korczak’s question, which remains unanswered eight decades later: what kind of world are we creating for children, and are we willing to give them any say in it?

The formal adoption of the Poznań Declaration and the Gala Dinner mark the conclusion of the conference. It remains to be seen if the declaration has any impact. However, the act of assembling educators, researchers, advocates, and, somewhere in the background, kids, has its own stubborn logic. Every child should be treated with respect, according to Korczak. The same argument is being made by OMEP 2026. The world hasn’t always been adept at listening. In July, Poznań might be.