A/HRC/17/29
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
18 April 2011
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Seventeenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education,
Kishore Singh∗
The promotion of equality of opportunity in education
Summary
This report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 8/4
and constitutes the first report of Kishore Singh since his appointment as Special
Rapporteur on the right to education. It focuses on the promotion of equality of opportunity
in education. The report also provides an overview of additional concerns that the Special
Rapporteur intends to study in the course of his mandate.
Ensuring equality of opportunity in education is an overarching principle that is
reflected in core human rights treaties. States have the duty to adopt measures to eradicate
discrimination and ensure equal access for all to education. The promotion of equality of
opportunity in education both in law and in fact is an ongoing challenge for all States, and
one that requires not only the elimination of discriminatory practices, but also the adoption
of temporary special measures to bring about equality in fact with regard to education. The
report first details core human rights standards provisions which establish the obligation to
promote equal opportunities in education. It subsequently describes different sources of
inequalities and different types of initiatives to address them. It concludes by formulating
recommendations based on human rights standards.
∗ This document is being submitted late in order to include up-to-date information.
GE.11-12940