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Assessment of the educational attainment of students
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2014
- Document code
- A/HRC/26/27
Document
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Fulfilment of State obligations for the right to education is dependent upon how the education provided meets the essential objectives of the right to education, as shown by the educational attainments of students. This calls for national assessments of education to be driven by a human rights-based approach, where the full range of obligations arising from the right to education remains centre stage. The Special Rapporteur would like to emphasize the need and importance of a holistic approach which is broader than the narrow approach of performance evaluation only of mathematical literacy and language skills, and which broadens the assessment of the educational attainments of students to include all obligations relating to the right to education under international human rights law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- States have the primary responsibility for ensuring that their national education systems meet the objectives assigned to education in international human rights treaties. Beginning with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, schools must provide education which is respectful of human rights values, democratic citizenship and cultural diversity. According to the principles contained in article 29 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the education of the child shall be directed to "the development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own." The education to which every child has a right is one which is "designed to provide the child with life skills, to strengthen the child's capacity to enjoy the full range of human rights and to promote a culture which is infused by appropriate human rights values." Yet, as the Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated, national and international programmes and policies on education that really count the elements embodied in article 29 (1) seem all too often to be either largely missing or present only as a cosmetic afterthought.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- In this respect, it is important to recall that the UNESCO constitution assigns to education the mission of promoting the "ideals of humanity" and fostering the "intellectual and moral solidarity" of humankind. Both UNESCO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have the institutional mission of preparing children for the responsibility of the future and these ideals should constitute the bedrock of national curricula. Moreover, education should be designed and provided in such a way that it "promotes and reinforces the range of specific ethical values" enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The need for "new ethics for our common humanity" has been voiced in propositions for planning for the post-2015 development agenda. This should find a prominent place in reflections on modernizing the curriculum for assessing the educational attainments of students accordingly, as an integral part of the humanistic mission of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The primary objective of national assessment systems is to appraise the educational attainments of students through the entire national education system. This should be driven by a human rights-based approach and the humanistic mission of education, rather than by its mere instrumental role, and by preserving and fostering the noble cause of education. The values and principles propounded by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training "as a means to give full effect to the right to education worldwide" must be publicized in order to make them an integral part of the educational attainments of students. "Universally recognized human rights values and democratic principles should be embedded in any education system."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- A ground-breaking report presented to UNESCO in 1996, known as the Delors Report, outlined four pillars of education: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be. Those objectives provide a useful framework for the purpose of modernizing national curricula and the corresponding mechanisms for assessing the educational attainments of students.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Assessing the peacebuilding role of education is also important, especially in conflict situations and in the phase of post-conflict reconciliation. "Education in the twenty-first century needs above all to teach children what is arguably the single most vital skill for a flourishing multi-cultural society - the skill of living peacefully with other people … No country can hope to establish lasting foundations for peace unless it finds ways of building mutual trust between its citizens - and the place to start is in the classroom." An important consideration in assessing the educational attainments of students is whether their behaviour patterns reflect their understanding of, and commitment to, learning to live together.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Education is invaluable for the preservation of the cultural heritage of humankind. Inculcating in students a commitment to preserving and enriching multicultural and multilingual diversity and promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the richness of cultural diversity deserves an important place in any education system. National curricula should aim to prepare students for the defence of cultural diversity as an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity, as expressed in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity of 2001. The main lines of the action plan for the implementation of the Declaration clearly provide for promoting through education an awareness of the positive value of cultural diversity and improving to this end both curriculum design and teacher education. The education provided, as well as the assessments of students, should show the importance attached to the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity and pluralism as an essential part of human-centred development. The assessment of students should demonstrate their understanding of common values shared by all humankind, with respect for people from different civilizations, cultures and religions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- As described by the Special Rapporteur in his previous report (A/67/310), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is an integral part of the right to basic education at the secondary level. Educational institutions must be supported to develop quality innovative programmes, including technical and vocational training and lifelong learning, geared to bridging skills gaps in order to advance sustainable development objectives. In fact, skills development through TVET has emerged as a leading concern in improving the quality of education in an increasingly globalized economy. Such training has profound implications in the twenty-first century for radically different knowledge-based economies and societies. This is all the more important in view of the need to better promote the skills required by the emerging "green economy", requiring novel means to assess competencies and skills in "green technology".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- However, development programmes for technical and vocational education and training and skills have not been adequately addressed in the most common international or regional assessments. National assessment mechanisms for those programmes must better evaluate how well they empower students to acquire the necessary competencies for the development requirements of their country, while still meeting the broader human rights-based objectives. Existing normative frameworks for TVET provide the basis for developing national assessments to appraise the acquisition of those competencies and skills by students. The UNESCO Revised Recommendation concerning Technical and Vocational Education (2001) stipulates that member States should aim to apply relevant and appropriate internationally recommended standards and norms relating to systems of assessment or evaluation; occupational qualifications and certification; and equipment and technical standards. The Recommendation also underlines the importance of the exchange of good practices and methods. Similarly, International Labour Organization (ILO) Recommendation No. 195 (2004) concerning Human Resources Development: Education, Training and Lifelong Learning stipulates that measures should be adopted, in consultation with social partners and using a national qualifications framework, to promote the development, implementation and financing of a transparent mechanism for the assessment, certification and recognition of skills, including prior learning and previous experience, irrespective of the countries where they were acquired and whether acquired formally or informally. Moreover, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights requires States in their reporting to indicate the measures taken to increase the availability of TVET programmes and whether they enable students to acquire knowledge and skills which contribute to their personal development, self-reliance and employability (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6, section II, para. 60).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- National assessment mechanisms for TVET programmes require a new and unique assessment mechanism to reflect how they differ from traditional academic programmes. TVET programmes involve private-public partnerships under the overall responsibility of Governments and institutionalized collaboration between TVET institutions and enterprises. A dual system of vocational training where students in vocational streams also undergo practical learning and training in enterprises is well organized in some developed countries and is a useful example for the developing world to draw upon for devising innovative policies and approaches.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Governments, enterprises and TVET institutions must thus be collectively involved in defining the vocational trades and in developing assessment mechanisms of the attainments of students as part of a tripartite system. This is indispensable for ensuring that TVET graduates are responsive to ever-changing national and private sector employment requirements, with the State also ensuring that TVET programmes and the assessments of them are supplemented by a broader human rights-based education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- In an endeavour to transform technical and vocational education and training, novel approaches are emerging to assess TVET programmes. For example, countries in Latin America have adopted a competency-based approach, such as the Occupational Competency Standardization and Certification Council in Mexico and the National Service of Learning (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje) in Colombia. Similarly, the National Programme for the integration between professional and basic education for young people and adults (PROEJA), established in 2006 in Brazil, is aimed at providing technical and vocational education and training at the basic and secondary education levels, as well as providing continuing technical education for young adults.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The emerging concept of technical and vocational skills development in Africa calls for novel mechanisms in the form of national qualification frameworks. In South Africa, the national qualifications framework provides a mechanism for awarding qualifications based on the attainment of specified learning skills prescribed by industry. It allows for the accumulation of credits and for the recognition of prior learning. Similarly, the Mauritius Education and Human Resource Strategy Plan 2008-2020 recognizes the need for creative learning - the acquisition of skills and competencies that unlock the human potential - as a paramount necessity since education is one of the cardinal drivers of economic growth, including a quality assurance system. Accordingly, a qualifications authority in the TVET sector has been established.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers that it is important for each country to develop a national framework of certification, recognizing and validating various modes of the acquisition of skills in a coherent and unified system. The recognition of prior learning, as expressed in ILO Recommendation No. 195, can help to bridge the divide between formal and informal technical and vocational skills development systems by providing mechanisms and opportunities for the recognition and validation of experiential learning. It is also necessary to ensure that the assessment mechanisms for TVET are founded on competence-based training, not only on theory-based certification.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Quality standards can set minimum skill requirements for graduate apprentices, with monitoring mechanisms to ensure they meet those standards. It is also necessary to improve the linkages between informal apprenticeships and formal education and training, in particular regarding the role of skills development in national policies and laws.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- In developing national qualification frameworks and assessing competencies, it is crucial to ensure that they are not limited to technical competencies in TVET, but also include critical thinking and are not devoid of a human rights perspective.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Finally, national assessment systems for TVET can be used as leverage in valorizing social perceptions of TVET and their status, since they do not enjoy the esteem that would be commensurate with their importance for development. Instituting national awards in conjunction with an assessment of performance in TVET is an important step in that direction. The practice of rewarding TVET students in China is a good example.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- It is up to States to adopt national assessment mechanisms which ensure that their education systems are in conformity with human rights law, including but not limited to those relating to the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- National assessment systems should evaluate how human rights values and knowledge have been acquired by students. Performance tests should be devised to assess the extent to which students have incorporated those values into their understanding, commitment and day-to-day behaviour patterns. This constitutes a response to rising levels of violence in many schools, a phenomenon which deserves consideration in assessing school-based evaluations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- It is the teacher who conveys the national curricula to students and assesses their performance. Teachers should be able to develop in children a love of learning. They should be able to kindle in children and adults the capacity for critical thinking, as well as nurturing in them ethical and moral values. Four pillars of education - learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be - propounded by the Delors Report - are central to the teaching-learning process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The quality of teaching and learning at the basic education level is an important factor in national assessment. Teachers are also key to linking assessments to improved learning. Moreover, they play a valuable role in accomplishing the humanistic mission of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers, adopted by the Special Intergovernmental Conference on the Status of Teachers in 1966, lays down a comprehensive normative framework on the teaching profession. It also recognizes the essential role of teachers in educational advancement. It applies to all teachers in both private and public schools and provides guidance on a diverse range of matters, including the roles and responsibilities of teachers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Teacher training programmes must emphasize not just pedagogical skills, but also the assessments of students. Innovative programmes for revamping teacher education and development are necessary to devise novel modalities of teacher training in tandem with reforms in education. In France, for example, teacher evaluation, including a questionnaire, is also part of the student learning process. In-service training for teachers is a permanent requirement, not only to improve their qualifications or to keep them up to date with the latest teaching practices, but also to ensure their assessment skills are kept up to date. The need for "standard[s] frameworks, which could be applied nationally and regionally" has been underlined.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- A student-centred system of education and evaluation would include a detailed assessment record of each student's progress through the curriculum. While not all students progress at the same rate, a personalized assessment allows teachers, teaching assistants or even student mentors in a higher grade to provide support so that each student completes each module in the curriculum without suffering from the social stigma associated with being held back.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Universally recognized human rights values and democratic principles should be embedded in any education system, and incorporated into national curricula for basic education. It is important for public authorities to review their national curriculum periodically in order to respond to emerging requirements. It is also necessary to ensure that textbooks in all schools - private or public - and the contents of the curricula are in conformity with the values and objectives of education laid down in international human rights conventions and expounded by the work of the human rights treaty bodies. Moreover, curricula and the contents of education must keep pace with global concerns with new ethics for our common humanity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The aptitude of students should be given serious consideration in assessing their attainments. The evaluation of the abilities and aptitudes of children in consultation with parents and teachers can be useful in enabling them to realize their potential, leading to better attainments. In Lithuania, for example, evaluation in primary and basic education is driven by the concept of the assessment of pupils' achievement and progress, encouraging positive personal features and creativity and improving personal achievements. The main idea is assessment for learning, not assessment of learning.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In this context, the State of Gujarat in India is exemplary in taking steps towards abolishing the conventional "character" certificate, systematically delivered to all students at the end of primary or secondary education, and replacing it with an "aptitude" certificate, which shows the aptitude of students as appraised by teachers, parents and students themselves, allowing them to pursue secondary or higher education. This has the inherent advantage of motivating students to pursue studies based on their aptitude.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Aptitude tests and counselling are even more important for skills development. National assessment mechanisms should be coupled with "career guidance systems to assist learners in choosing appropriate pathways, including by the provision of up?to?date labour market information and self-assessment tools to identify aptitudes and interests and promote the acquisition of career management skills."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Exploding demand for education has led to an exponential growth in the number of education providers. A comprehensive and sound regulatory framework for controlling private schools and ensuring their conformity with norms and standards is required. To preserve the public interest in education, effective sanctions in cases of abusive practices by private providers are necessary. Each State must organize a system of prior authorization, successive monitoring and verification, in order to ensure that private schools respect the content and objectives of education, thus enabling the State, in turn, to respect its international commitments in that regard. In those States where basic education is also provided by private schools, the State should ensure that such schools fully respect the objectives and content of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- In this context, it is important to note that, whereas parents and guardians are at liberty to choose private schools for their children, pursuant to article 13 (3) and (4) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, education in such schools must conform to the educational objectives set out in article 13 (1) of the Covenant and "such minimum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State". Those minimum standards may relate to issues such as admission, curricula and the recognition of certificates. In their turn, those standards must be consistent with the educational objectives set out in article 13 (1).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Commitments made by the international community to the realization of the right to basic education are well known. A major constraint emanates from the non-fulfilment by States of their obligations. Whether States have fulfilled their obligations for the right to education is dependent not just upon how many years of schooling children have attended, but also upon whether what they have learned has empowered them in their lives. That is shown by assessing the educational achievements of students against a national curriculum which is consistent with the objectives of the right to education. Comprehensive national assessment mechanisms must be recognized as valuable tools for students, schools as well as for States. Those assessments ensure that the achievements of each student are tracked and, where necessary, improved. Nationally, they enable States to adjust their curriculum, teacher training and education systems more broadly to ensure that the right to education is achieved in the fullest sense.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Prevalent international assessments of the performance of students reflect an instrumental role for education, driven by the concept of educational development in mere economic terms, with excessive emphasis placed on learning outcomes in mathematical literacy and language skills. The Special Rapporteur considers that such a narrow approach is detrimental to the humanistic mission of education and undermines the essential objectives assigned to education in international human rights conventions. International assessments also affect national assessment systems, thus perpetuating such a narrow approach. A paradigm shift is necessary to make assessment systems more broadly based so that they embody in full measure the essential objectives of the right to education, in accordance with human rights law, and are premised upon a human rights-based holistic approach.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- In that spirit, the national assessment systems of the educational attainments of students in basic education need to be revamped and developed so as to demonstrate that every child completes at least a primary education of good quality, in line with the core obligation of States, and is given access to good quality secondary education, with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as an integral component. Assessment mechanisms for TVET-led skills development deserve greater consideration in evaluating how TVET programmes empower their beneficiaries to acquire the necessary competencies and skills which respond to a the development requirements of a country, while also recognizing the importance of a human rights perspective.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Teachers are vital to the implementation of the national curricula and in conducting assessments of the educational attainments of students. Teacher training programmes need to be reinforced to enhance not just the pedagogical capacities of teachers, but also their ability to assess the educational attainments of students.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- It is also important to initiate a public debate on the educational attainments of students and to foster education systems which embody the spirit of human values and human dignity. Education must not lead students merely to be immersed in materialistic values and pursuits in life, devoid of the values of human rights and of solidarity and mutual understanding and respect for each other's culture. It must also prepare children for the responsibilities of freedom in keeping with the institutional mandates of UNESCO and UNICEF. The intellectual community, civil society organizations and particularly parliamentarians, as lawmakers and public figures, can make a significant contribution in this respect.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- The work of the human rights treaty bodies and the United Nations agencies can be valuable in raising the importance of national assessments of the educational attainments of students that encompass a human rights-based approach to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to state that the realization of the right to basic education of quality for all, including skills development, deserves a central place in the post-2015 development agenda. From that perspective, national assessments of the educational attainments of students would need to evolve with a future-oriented perspective, in order to meet the key challenges of achieving such universal goals for education as may be agreed to in future development agendas. Education systems, including national assessments, will need to be kept abreast of such developments, bearing in mind the resolve of the international community in reaffirming its commitments to the right to education and to "full access to quality education at all levels" as an "essential condition for achieving sustainable development".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the adoption of a human rights-based framework, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States move towards a more holistic approach in assessing student attainments which goes beyond reading, writing and arithmetic and which incorporates essential human rights objectives. The four pillars of the Delors Report - learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together - should become an integral part of any assessment of the educational attainments of students. Moreover, national assessment mechanisms must be in compliance with a country's international human rights obligations;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the adoption of a human rights-based framework, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States ensure that national assessments of the educational attainments of students are founded on a human-rights based approach, where the right to education remains at centre stage.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the development of a holistic approach to the assessment of the educational attainments of students, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Public authorities and school administrators ensure that the assessment of the educational attainments of students includes their understanding of universal human rights values and respect for people from different civilizations, cultures and religions. Student performance tests should demonstrate the extent to which students have incorporated human rights values in their understanding, commitments and day-to-day behaviour patterns.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the development of a holistic approach to the assessment of the educational attainments of students, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States recognize the need and the importance of a holistic approach, with the full range of obligations arising from the right to education, in assessing the educational attainments of students. Such assessments should centre around the core objectives of education, as established by international human rights conventions;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Regarding periodic reviews of national curricula, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Governments periodically review their national curriculum to ensure that its contents are updated and in conformity with the values and objectives of education laid down in international human rights conventions and as expounded by the United Nations treaty bodies and relevant agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Regarding equity-based approaches to assessments of the entire student population, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: National assessments appraise the educational attainments of the entire student population in a country, assessing all students uniformly. An equity-based approach should be an essential prerequisite, so that all those students who are found to be underperforming are given the necessary support needed for them to meet the educational requirements. Student assessments must address with great concern the situation of underperforming students, particularly those who are disadvantaged on account of marginalization. Early targeted teaching support to them is most effective and should be prioritized over later interventions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- In relation to assessing progression from primary to secondary education, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States comply fully with their core obligation of providing free, compulsory primary education of good quality to every child, boys and girls alike. Completion of good quality primary education should be a predominant concern in the national assessment of basic education, with no automatic progression from primary to secondary education. This can only be verified through assessments prior to progression to secondary education, with recognized qualification" at the end of primary education cycle. Public authorities should ensure the maintenance of quality standards throughout the cycle of basic education in a sustained manner.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the development of novel assessment mechanisms for skills development, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: While recognizing the importance of national assessment mechanisms for TVET programmes, Governments should develop new and unique assessment mechanisms within a framework of institutionalized collaboration with industry for assessing competencies and skills in terms of technical qualifications that are relevant to a country's development priorities. TVET programmes, particularly in early secondary levels, must be made complementary to the standard education curriculum and not as a separate stream. The aptitude of students should be central to those new assessment systems, offering them the possibility of pathways to higher education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- In relation to refining assessment mechanisms, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Public authorities ensure that the basic education which is provided is of good quality, as proven by an appropriate national assessment mechanism, conducted annually or on a semester system. While school examination and tests constitute necessary mechanisms for assessing the educational attainments of students, Governments should devise innovative modalities, appropriate to the capacities of the State, to evaluate the knowledge and understanding of students of all the subjects taught, including human rights values.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Regarding the development of the capacity of the teaching profession for the holistic assessment of basic education, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Recognizing that teachers play a key role in the implementation of the national curricula and in conducting assessments of the educational attainments of students, Governments should ensure that teachers are provided with the additional training and support to better understand and implement a human rights-based curriculum in an accessible fashion for their students. Novel modalities of teacher training in tandem with reforms in education should be devised to foster quality education and learning.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- In relation to strengthening national assessment mechanisms with parliamentarians, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Given their leadership role, parliamentarians should take up the cause of education, leading the processes aimed at giving effect to the right to education and strengthening national assessment mechanisms to that effect. They can thus contribute to promoting the educational attainments of students.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- In relation to encouraging and supporting civil society organizations and NGOs, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: Governments encourage NGOs and civil society organizations in their valuable role in raising the level of the public debate on key issues and in defending a holistic approach to student assessments. As such, the public authorities should maintain a constructive dialogue with NGOs and civil society organizations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- In regard to the promotion of studies on national assessments, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: As research and studies on national assessments are scant as compared to those on international or regional assessment systems, reflections and studies on national assessments of the educational attainments of students in education faculties and among professional bodies should be promoted, so as to make existing national assessment mechanisms and country-level experience better known. That would also benefit policymaking authorities in improving assessment mechanisms;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- In regard to the promotion of studies on national assessments, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States continue to champion the cause of quality education in the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda. Enhancing educational attainments for the benefit of both the individual and society should be a central concern in any future agenda, with a reinforced commitment by the international community in appreciation of the pivotal role of the right to education for human development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to make the following recommendations to United Nations and intergovernmental bodies: Within the scope of their respective mandates, when considering the right to education in their dialogue with States, the human rights treaty bodies should accord importance to ensuring that the educational attainments of students are assessed from a broader, human-rights-based approach;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to make the following recommendations to United Nations and intergovernmental bodies: The United Nations agencies should take a coordinated interest in assisting in the development of educational assessment systems that meet international human rights standards and which are also conducive to skills development as part of quality imperatives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to make the following recommendations to United Nations and intergovernmental bodies: Within their respective institutional missions, UNESCO and UNICEF should accord the foremost importance to a human rights-based approach to national student assessments in order to prepare children for the responsibilities of freedom". They should accordingly encourage and support Governments in their endeavours to that effect, providing the necessary technical assistance and advisory services;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to make the following recommendations to United Nations and intergovernmental bodies: Similarly, ILO and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization have special roles and responsibilities in the area of skills development, and should reinforce their activities in technical assistance for assessment of new areas of technical knowledge and competencies, while improving linkages between informal apprenticeship and formal vocational education and training. Recognition of the qualifications of students who have undertaken technical and vocational education and training should include graduate apprentices in rural economies and the informal sector;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Contributions of the right to education to the prevention of atrocity crimes and mass or grave violations of human rights
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2019
- Document code
- A/74/243
Document
Early childhood care and education
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2022
- Document code
- A/77/324
Document
Equality of opportunity in education
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2011
- Document code
- A/HRC/17/29
Document
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (a)
- Paragraph text
- Update on previous report on education in emergency situations: Despite efforts and international pledges to ensure full enjoyment of the right to education in areas affected by conflict and natural disasters, these situations are still central factors in the exclusion of children from schools, and in the deterioration of education. The General Assembly requested the Special Rapporteur to include in his report to the sixty-sixth session an update to the report on the right to education in emergencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (b)
- Paragraph text
- Financing education: The share of resources allocated to ensure the provision of education is frequently unstable and insufficient, deeply affecting the realization of this right. The Special Rapporteur will pay attention to legal and institutional mechanisms that ensure the provision of adequate resources for education. He also intends to look at innovative forms of financing education and to assess how the human rights normative framework may guide State action in these areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (c)
- Paragraph text
- Justiciability of the right to education: The protection of the right to education requires judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms that ensure rights holders’ capacity to claim their rights at national, regional and global levels. The Special Rapporteur intends to examine the jurisprudence and enforcement mechanisms for protecting the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (d)
- Paragraph text
- Establishing minimum quality standards for education: The impact of recent expansion of enrolment in schools in many countries is seriously compromised by the deterioration in the quality of education that schools currently provide. The Special Rapporteur intends to pay attention to the development and implementation of norms for quality education - both for public and private schools - with a focus on improving the conditions of the teaching profession and learning outcomes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (e)
- Paragraph text
- Regulating private education: Private, religious or community schools comprise an important proportion of education systems around the world. With the limited capacity of public systems in some countries, private schools become the dominant source of education. The Special Rapporteur intends to examine standards and mechanisms that ensure all non-public educational entities comply with standards of human rights law and the objectives of human rights generally.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (f)
- Paragraph text
- Management of schools and human rights standards: The realization of the right to education involves the proper discharge of duties by public servants and private providers. The Special Rapporteur will study the main obstacles to the respect of human rights in the functioning and management of schools, and the standards and mechanisms that ensure that educational entities comply with human rights principles.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. (g)
- Paragraph text
- Freedom from violence and the right to education: If schools play a central role in the prevention of violence and the promotion of a culture of peace, it is also true that violence can often take place in the school context with serious consequences for the enjoyment of the right to education. The Rapporteur intends to address the emerging concern of violence in schools in close collaboration with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- The centrality of education in human development is clear. The right to education as an internationally recognized right is all the more important as it is not only a human right in itself, but also essential for the exercise of other rights. While the international community is committed to achieving the right to basic education for all, the gap between commitment and reality remains significant and, if concrete and sustainable steps are not taken, this can easily widen. Understanding and removing obstacles that impede the enjoyment of all to the right to education are urgent challenges for the entire international community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Since its establishment by the Commission on Human Rights in 1998, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education has sought to identify obstacles to the right to education, and has provided conceptual and practical guidance on steps to be taken to ensure its realization. The Special Rapporteur intends to build on this work, while benefiting from the knowledge and experiences of those who are directly involved in the promotion of education at global, regional and local levels. The themes he intends to examine in the course of his mandate are highlighted below. While implementing these priorities, the Special Rapporteur also intends to give particular attention to the situation on the African continent, given the acute challenges faced by the region.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Despite the almost universal recognition of State obligations to provide universal primary education and fair access to secondary and higher education through all appropriate means, education is not fully accessible for many people around the world. The Special Rapporteur decided to dedicate his first thematic report to the promotion of equality of opportunity in education, considering its universal importance for the realization of the right to education. Developing countries face particularly acute challenges with regard to great social and economic inequalities, but developed countries also encounter challenges when attempting to ensure equal educational opportunities for all. Concerns relating to equality of opportunity in education are understood as relating both to guaranteeing equal opportunities in access to different levels of education as established by human rights norms, as well as equal opportunities to evolve within education systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is set out in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is comprehensively elaborated in article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in articles 28 and 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As highlighted below, a number of other human rights treaties also expand on the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Free and compulsory primary education is an inalienable right of every child, and a core obligation of States under international human rights treaties. The Education for All process has furthered the global recognition of the duty to ensure every child receives free primary and basic education without discrimination or exclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Beyond primary education, the right to education also extends to higher education; its enjoyment is subject to the criteria of merit or capacity, while respecting the fundamental principles of non-discrimination and equality. The obligations assumed by States under human rights treaties range from ensuring universal access to primary education to progressive access to secondary education and higher education on the basis of capacity. The right to education is not only recognized as an entitlement, but as a source of empowerment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Efforts to universalize access to education over the last decades are underpinned by repeated political commitments. The EFA and Millennium Development Goals campaigns inspired expansions of primary education systems and created more education opportunities for girls. However, progress is fragile and uneven across regions and among population groups. Unprecedented disparities in access and quality emerge as the demand for education grows and education systems expand. Significant gaps remain even in the coverage of education as there are about 67 million children of primary school age who are out of school; while a larger number of adolescents (another 71 million), remain deprived of basic post-primary education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The experience of human rights monitoring mechanisms has identified many forms of discrimination and inequality that affect the enjoyment of the right to education. These range from clear legal inequalities in status and entitlements to policies that neglect the specific conditions of certain groups. The work of human rights treaty bodies over the last years has indicated areas of action at national and international levels to ensure equality of opportunity in education. Similarly, recommendations to States undergoing the universal periodic review process also address aspects such as guaranteeing the right to education to marginalized and under privileged groups, combating poverty, ensuring the right to education for all, removing gender-based imbalances in education, strengthening efforts to expand opportunities for (basic) education, etc.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Challenges faced in achieving equality of opportunity in education were also described in reports submitted by States regarding implementation of the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education – even in countries where educational opportunities are in general widely available, inequalities remain in the ability of all social groups to fully avail themselves of such opportunities. Social and cultural barriers and unequal opportunities manifested in access to quality education remain one of the most serious difficulties of national educational policies. Closing the attainment gap among children from different ethnic groups and differing socio-economic backgrounds appears as a common challenge in these reports.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The need to guarantee “equal access of all levels of society to learning opportunities so as to implement the principles of inclusive education” was underlined in the conclusions and recommendations of the forty-eighth session of the International Conference on Education, in 2008. Considering that inclusive education is key to building inclusive societies, the Conference recommended that States “address social inequity and poverty levels as priorities as these are major obstacles to the implementation of inclusive education policies and strategies.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Recent EFA Global Monitoring Reports highlight that the enjoyment of the right to education is severely limited by the phenomena of marginalization and exclusion. In 2009, the report stated that “progress towards the EFA goals is being undermined by a failure of governments to tackle persistent inequalities” based on income, gender, location and ethnicity, language etc. In the subsequent year, the report focused on the issue of marginalization, and like its predecessor, indicated that “Governments are failing to address the root causes of marginalization in education” and showed how mutually reinforcing layers of disadvantage create extreme and persistent deprivation that undermine equal opportunities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- A recent progress review of the Millennium Development Goals by UNICEF focuses on the question of equity. The importance of equity in education should be recognized not only as regards the goals of universalizing basic education, but also with respect to “access to higher education for members of some special target groups, such as indigenous peoples, cultural and linguistic minorities, disadvantaged groups, peoples living under occupation and those who suffer from disabilities.” While equity in education is a worthy goal in itself, equity-enhancing policies and practices, particularly education as investment in human capital, can, in the long run, boost economic growth and help reduce poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Ensuring equal opportunities in education is also a key concern at the regional level. The Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union has continued to reiterate the need to increase access to education, improve quality and relevance, and ensure equity. This is the underlying thrust of the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015), and the Framework for Action, adopted by African Ministers of Education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Reports indicate that the EFA agenda is falling behind, and the prospects of achieving Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3 on universal primary education and gender equality, respectively, are also bleak. The target of universal primary education is unlikely to be achieved by 2015. Inequalities, stigmatization and discrimination linked to economic status, gender, ethnicity, language, location and disability are also holding back progress. Social and economic status and sex appear as major factors of marginalization in education, with girls and those living in poverty being the most affected. “Poverty and gender inequalities magnify other disadvantages, and close doors to education opportunity for millions of children.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In the face of all these challenges, it is important to examine State obligations under international human rights law relating to equality of opportunity in education, underlining the need for their fulfillment. As described below, equality and non-discrimination are fundamental human rights principles or obligations, and concerns regarding equality of opportunity in education are common to almost all international human rights treaties. Given the centrality of the principle for States, international human rights mechanisms have developed important guidance with regard to the establishment of legal and policy instruments to ensuring equal opportunities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Promoting and protecting the right to education and promoting equality and non-discrimination are clearly interrelated duties in accordance with human rights norms. The decisions of several human rights bodies recognize the central role of education in ensuring the enjoyment of an equal protection of other human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Equality of opportunity in education permeates most human rights treaties. As mentioned above, article 13 of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights clearly establishes every person’s right to free primary education, and State responsibilities to achieve the progressive realization of this right with respect to secondary education, and for higher education, on the basis of capacity. The Convention further indicates that fundamental education should be provided as far as possible for those who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights details the core content and the obligations related to the right to education in its general comment No. 13. It indicates that States have the principal responsibility for the direct provision of education, with core obligations clearly related to the principle of equality of opportunity, to ensure the right of access to public educational institutions and programmes on a non-discriminatory basis, and to provide primary education for all in accordance with article 13 (2) (a).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- General comment No. 13 dedicates one section to the obligations related to the principles of non-discrimination and equality. The prohibition against discrimination “applies fully and immediately to all aspects of education and encompasses all internationally prohibited grounds of discrimination”. It further stipulates that “the adoption of temporary special measures intended to bring about de facto equality for men and women and for disadvantaged groups is not a violation of the right to non-discrimination with regard to education, so long as such measures do not lead to the maintenance of unequal or separate standards for different groups, and provided they are not continued after the objectives for which they were taken have been achieved”. It also indicates that “sharp disparities in spending policies that result in differing qualities of education for persons residing in different geographic locations may constitute discrimination under the Covenant.” Further, “States parties must closely monitor education –including all relevant policies, institutions, programmes, spending patterns and other practices – so as to identify and take measures to redress any de facto discrimination.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child enshrines the right of every child to education on the basis of equal opportunity. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has recognized the need for identifying and giving priority to marginalized and disadvantaged groups of children, while not neglecting or diluting in any way the obligations which States parties have accepted under the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- General comment No. 1 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child highlights the fact that while equality of opportunity in education “is primarily a matter which relates to article 28 of the Convention, there are many ways in which failure to comply with the principles contained in article 29 (1) [concerning the aims of education] can have a similar effect.” The general comment goes on to outline how discrimination based on gender, disability, health status and race can hamper children’s equal access to education. Furthermore, other general comments elaborated by the Committee address the need for temporary special measures to ensure equal access to education for indigenous children and equality of opportunity in education for children with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Other treaty bodies have also stressed obligations connected to ensuring equality of opportunity in education. Article 5 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination protects the right to education and training for everyone without discrimination. In its general recommendations concerning specific groups, particularly in relation to discrimination against Roma and discrimination based on descent, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination addressed, inter alia, “measures in the field of education.” These elements especially address issues of access to education, quality of education, drop-out rates, and special measures to ensure inclusion of communities which face discrimination. The general recommendation on discrimination against non-citizens also places particular emphasis on access to and quality of education for non-citizens.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Article 10 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women contains detailed provisions related to equality of opportunity in education and the equal rights of women and men in the field of education.” Furthermore, general recommendation No. 25, elaborated by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which oversees the implementation of this treaty, explains that “the Convention requires that women be given an equal start and that they be empowered by an enabling environment to achieve equality of results.” In this regard, the Committee further specified that temporary special measures are necessary, not as an exception to the prohibition of discrimination, but as a central part of a strategy to achieve substantive or de facto equality between women and men. The Committee has also specifically referred to the equal rights of girls in the area of basic education in its general recommendation No. 28 on the core obligations of States parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Concerning equality between men and women, the Human Rights Committee has also interpreted articles 3 and 24 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on equality between men and women, and on protection of children, respectively, as requiring States to provide information on “measures taken to ensure that girls are treated equally to boys in education.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities specifically mentions equality of opportunity as a general provision of the treaty, while article 24 contains detailed provisions concerning the right of persons with disabilities to education “without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity.” Of particular importance is article 24.2 (b) which stipulates that States shall ensure that “persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others ….”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The International Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families also protects the right to education on a basis of equality. Specifically, article 30 states that “each child of a migrant worker shall have the basic right of access to education on the basis of equality of treatment with nationals of the State concerned.” Articles 43 and 45 further emphasize equality of treatment for migrant workers and members of their families in relation to access to educational institutions, as well as vocational training.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Thus, equality of opportunity in education is clearly an overarching principle in most human rights treaties. It enjoins on the States parties to these treaties international obligations of a permanent nature for promoting and protecting the right to education, without discrimination or exclusion, in a way that it is fully respectful of equality of opportunity in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education is a key instrument addressing the fundamental principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunity in education. Adopted in 1960 and in force since 1962, it seeks not only to eliminate discrimination in education but also to adopt positive measures to promote equality of opportunity and treatment. Article 4 of the Convention specifically lays down the obligations of the States parties to the Convention to “undertake […] to formulate, develop and apply a national policy which, by methods appropriate to the circumstances and to national usage, will tend to promote equality of opportunity and of treatment in the matter of education”.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has interpreted articles 2.2 and 3 of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “in the light of the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (….)”. A statement of the joint expert group of UNESCO and the Committee highlights that in overcoming inequalities and eliminating disparities in education, emphasis should be placed on the inclusive dimensions of the right to education, which does not admit of any discrimination or exclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The global political commitments made by the international community at the 2000 World Education Forum towards achieving the goals of EFA are well known. EFA is the most relevant international initiative for promoting equality of opportunity in education; its goals correspond to various provisions regarding the right to education as enshrined in international human rights treaties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Reflecting the commitments adopted by world leaders in 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the Millennium Development Goals are amongst the most significant political commitments in recent history to tackle the most pressing challenges of our world, including serious concerns relating to education. Goal 2 calls on States to ensure that all children complete primary education, while Goal 3 calls on States to eliminate disparities between girls and boys in primary as well as secondary education. Progress towards these goals requires fully embracing equality of opportunity in education in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of education policies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The challenge of ensuring equality in education is also a matter of specific concern in the Durban Declaration and the Programme of Action, adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (2001), in which a key role was assigned to the right to education, in particular basic education. States are urged “to ensure equal access to education for all in law and in practice, and to refrain from any legal or any other measures leading to imposed racial segregation in any form in access to schooling.” The Programme of Action amply demonstrates the need for revitalizing action for non-discrimination and equality of opportunity in the field of education. It urges States to ensure access to education for all without discrimination, to eliminate barriers to accessing education, to ensure education of good quality, to monitor the educational performance of children from disadvantaged groups, and to devote resources to addressing inequalities in educational outcomes for children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- As regards equal opportunities for men and women, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference for Women in 1995, includes women and education as one of the Platform’s 12 critical areas of concern, inter alia, recognizing that “equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications is necessary if more women are to become agents of change.” The Platform for Action calls on Governments to, inter alia, “advance the goal of equal access to education by taking measures to eliminate discrimination in education at all levels,” and to “create a gender-sensitive educational system in order to ensure equal educational and training opportunities.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Pursuant to the legal obligations assumed by States under international human rights treaties, and following up on the political commitments they have undertaken, it is incumbent upon them to apply the principle of equality of opportunity in education through their national legal system. The place accorded to this principle in constitutions and other national legislation bears evidence to the way States incorporate their obligations into domestic law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Equality of opportunity and equal access to education are guaranteed in the constitutions of many countries in all regions. Constitutional provisions are noteworthy in several countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Constitutional law in various countries reflects concepts such as equal and adequate opportunities, or equal and reasonable opportunities, equitable public education, equal access to education, or equal conditions and opportunities, equal right to receive education, among others. This provides fertile grounds for action at the national level in the form of legislation, but also policies and programmes that ensure better opportunities for all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The need to “identify steps to strengthen and harmonize, where necessary, the legislative framework within which the right to education is guaranteed” was recognized at various stages of the EFA process. As a consequence, a large number of countries have also developed or modernized their national legislation. Such laws establish the right to basic education, and include provisions on non-discrimination and equality of opportunity in education. This further demonstrates the importance accorded to the equality of opportunity in education in national legal systems. Moreover, in some countries, the regulatory frameworks for private educational institutions have also been developed as part of national legal frameworks protecting equal opportunities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, other countries have enacted laws specifically addressing the principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunity in education. Examples include the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (2000) in South Africa; the Law on Equality of Rights and Opportunities, Participation and Citizenship of Persons with Disabilities (2005) in France; the Prohibition of Discrimination Act (2005) in Norway, which establishes the function of Ombudsman on Equality and Anti-Discrimination; the General Equality of Treatment Act (2006) in Germany, which aims “to prevent or remove disadvantages due to race or ethnic background, gender, religion or philosophy, disability, age or sexual orientation” in employment and vocational training; the Equality Act (2006) in the United Kingdom which establishes a Commission for Equality and Human Rights and requires public authorities “to take proactive steps in promoting equality of opportunity between men and women”.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- In order for legal instruments to be effective, they must offer the possibility of addressing the multiple dimensions of inequality in education, as well as the specific situation of different groups commonly excluded from the education system. Their enforcement requires a reliable and constantly updated data collection system that captures the various situations of unequal opportunities in education. In some cases, legal instruments expressly address the education of particularly vulnerable groups, such as indigenous groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Addressing inequalities in education requires a clear understanding of its multiple and intersecting sources. Given the broad nature of sources of inequalities in education, it would be impossible to provide an exhaustive description, or analysis, of measures adopted with the declared aim of promoting equal opportunities in education. Moreover, measuring marginalization in education is inherently difficult. This section provides only an overview of key factors affecting equality of opportunity in education as well as some initiatives designed to counter barriers to achieving de facto equality of opportunity in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Poverty is one of the main obstacles to realizing the right to education. Similarly, education is recognized as a powerful lever to pull children out of poverty and empower them. Nationally and internationally agreed targets for poverty reduction will be missed, and inequalities among countries and within societies will widen, if progress towards Education for All is not accelerated. The magnitude of the challenge in promoting equal opportunities in education can be gauged by the fact that the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger surpasses one billion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Girls and women constitute the majority of those who remain deprived of education. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has repeatedly expressed concern in its concluding observations at the low level of education of women and girls, and the prevailing obstacles to their access to education at all levels, especially the secondary and tertiary levels. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that the human rights framework is pivotal in the struggle against multiple forms of discrimination which women and girls in vulnerable and marginalized situations suffer. Educating women and girls should, a priori, be viewed as a human rights imperative, rather than undertaken solely because of the potential benefits to one’s children or to society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Belonging to a minority group is also a factor for marginalization in education. Indeed, education opportunities of Afro-descendants in the Americas or Roma groups in Europe are the subject of important debates. Ensuring access to basic education on an equitable basis for children of ethnic and linguistic minorities is an obligation and also one of the EFA goals. In this respect, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities provides a basis for action. The 2008 United Nations Forum on Minority Issues was devoted to the right to education, and produced recommendations which apply to the situations of minorities globally with respect to the right to education. These are highly relevant to equality of opportunity in education for other disadvantaged groups. Indigenous groups also face important challenges when accessing education. In this regard, apart from core international human rights treaties, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a normative base for action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Other groups vulnerable to limited opportunities in education and requiring targeted support include persons with disabilities, children living in the street or without parental care, migrant workers and their families, refugees, internally displaced persons and those affected by natural disasters or conflict. Moreover, nomad populations, including pastoral populations who remain deprived of equal opportunities in education, deserve special attention, especially in Africa.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- In all such circumstances, different types of barriers emerge as the central factors in the limited enjoyment of the right to education of these various population groups. Understanding these different obstacles and their inter-relationship is a permanent challenge for developing effective education policies to ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Even if international human rights standards do not provide specific policy prescriptions with regard to the vast possibilities of initiatives required to ensure equal opportunities in education, they establish a firm foundation for implementing and evaluating policy initiatives at the national level. Given the broad nature of sources of inequalities in education, it would be impossible to provide an exhaustive description or analysis of measures adopted with the declared aim of promoting equal opportunities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- An illustrative overview of key factors affecting equality of opportunity in education, as well as some initiatives designed to counter barriers to achieving de facto equality of opportunity in education are provided below.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Inadequate public transportation and inadequate school facilities can be determinant factors in excluding students from the education system. Persons living in poverty are particularly affected; the concentration of communities living in poverty in remote areas or in areas that are poorly served by transportation is a key factor limiting their access to education institutions. This is particularly acute in rural areas where schools are not present. These obstacles are commonly addressed through support for transportation of students, and by bringing schools closer to communities, often through improvements in transport infrastructure and the construction and expansion of education establishments in poorly served locations. Strategies also include the establishment of boarding schools.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Poverty
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Threat of violence against girls on the way to and from schools limits their education opportunities: household surveys in many countries identify distance as a major factor in parents’ decisions to keep daughters out of school, and concerns over security figure prominently.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The lack of support for transportation and inadequate facilities can also be a determinant factor in the exclusion of students with disabilities from education systems. Inadequate public transportation and poor infrastructure in rural and urban areas still impede access to schools for persons with mobility restrictions and those who have impaired vision. Within schools, inadequately built classrooms and toilets can also restrict their use by students with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Surveys in various countries point to financial constraints – direct and indirect costs of schooling – as a central reason for children being out of school or dropping out. Tuition fees appear as the most obvious financial obstacle, and the accumulation of indirect costs, such as those related to transportation, school materials, uniform and other indirect contributions, undermine access to education opportunities. Besides, disparities in the provisions for public education contribute to unequal opportunities for many students receiving education in poorly resourced schools, as compared to well-resourced ones.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Even if primary or basic education were to be accessible free of cost, such access cannot be universalized effectively unless financial support in the form of grants and bursaries is provided to the children who are excluded, in particular those who are victims of extreme poverty. Furthermore, targeting elimination of child labour in order to safeguard mandatory education is particularly relevant.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- While significant efforts have been undertaken to improve access to free primary schooling, less efforts have been made in relation to higher levels of education. Students with limited resources therefore have very limited prospects to progress to secondary education and beyond. States have the responsibility to alleviate this financial burden and ensure that secondary education is generally available and accessible to all, as well as ensure equal access to higher education on the basis of merit or capacity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- A number of in-kind incentives, such as school meal programmes, especially in poverty-stricken areas, are implemented in order to ensure that income deprivation or poverty in general does not result in exclusion from schools. In broad terms, State investment in social-protection policies and its contribution to alleviating the burden on families and child poverty plays an important role in the promotion of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- As poverty and social exclusion remain the major barriers to achieving the EFA, the use of direct financial support (through fellowship schemes, conditional cash transfers, or social assistance support for children of school age, for example) can be effective in enlarging access to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Affirmative action and promotional measures are highly important for addressing the educational needs of those living in poverty. Such measures may be suitable in cases of long-standing or historical and persisting forms of discrimination. The systemic exclusion of specific groups from higher levels of education can also be addressed through the adoption of temporary special measures. These might range from the establishment of enrolment quotas to the offer of financial incentives targeted to particularly vulnerable groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The right to education establishes the obligation of States to undertake promotional measures including through the introduction of financial support schemes. Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights proposes the establishment of “an adequate fellowship system” among its provisions on the right to education, while the Committee’s general comment No. 13 on the right to education states that “the requirement that ‘an adequate fellowship system shall be established’ should be read with the Covenant's non-discrimination and equality provisions; the fellowship system should enhance equality of educational access for individuals from disadvantaged groups.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The lack of education in mother-tongue or native languages is often a source of exclusion. This is particularly relevant for minorities and migrants. Estimates indicate that around 221 million children speak a different language at home from the language of instruction in school, limiting their ability to develop foundations for later learning. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, establishes in article 4(3) that States should take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue. Moreover, available experience shows that a child learns better in his or her mother tongue in the formative stages and initial period of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Countries with numerous local languages where the official language is not the same as that used at home face particular challenges in establishing educational policies and language rights. The Forum on Minority Issues recommended that States take appropriate measures, wherever possible, to ensure that persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue. These measures are deemed to be most critical at the preschool and primary school levels, but may extend to subsequent stages of education. Respecting the richness of linguistic and cultural diversity, education policies in today's globalized world should give high consideration to mother-tongue-based, multilingual education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Judicial systems play an essential role in protecting and enforcing the right to education as an entitlement. The enforcement of legal mechanisms guaranteeing equality of opportunity in education is crucial in safeguarding such entitlement. In the case of violation of the right to education and denial of equality of opportunity, everyone must be able to have recourse before courts or administrative tribunals on the basis of international legal obligations as well as to existing constitutional provisions on the right to education. Decisions by courts across regions demonstrate how courts have upheld the right to education and equality of opportunities in education. Case law from several countries shows that individuals can claim their entitlement to equality of opportunity in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- In the historic ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States of America emphatically declared that separate educational facilities for white and black children are “inherently unequal”. Even where physical facilities and other objective factors are equal, a segregated school system denies equal educational opportunities to the minority group. Other cases have noted that “providing public schools ranks at the very apex of the function of a State,” and “education is perhaps the most important function of State and local governments.” The right to equal educational opportunity in mixed-race and mixed-gender schools has since been codified through the establishment of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- In India, jurisprudence also underlines State obligations relating to the right to education and the equality of educational opportunities. The Supreme Court of India has interpreted the provisions on equality before the law in article 14 of India’s Constitution to promote equality in law and in fact. Equality in law must ultimately find its raison d’être in equality in fact. A Constitution Bench of the Indian Supreme Court held that “What is fundamental, as an enduring value of our polity, is guarantee to each of equal opportunity to unfold the full potential of his personality. […] The philosophy and pragmatism of universal excellence through equality of opportunity for education and advancement across the nation is part of our founding faith and constitutional creed.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- In 1997, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled that by excluding pupils on an economic basis, schools violate their right to education. The Constitutional Court of South Africa held that “affirmative action in education, which would give preference to previously disadvantaged persons to gain admission (to university), is allowed by section 9(2) of the Constitution.” Other rulings from the same court in South Africa also protect the right to education and language rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Regional human rights systems have also adopted decisions relevant for the protection of equal opportunities in education. The European Court of Human Rights recently held that the right to education was violated by the placement of a Croatian national of Roma origin in Roma-only classes, rather than ethnically ‘mixed’ classes. Even the applicant had attended ‘Roma-only’ schools at other times. The Court noted that there was a lack of a systemic and structured approach to the integration of Roma children into mainstream classes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Administrative tribunals and national human rights institutions also reinforce judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms to safeguard the equality of opportunities in education and right to education. In another case relating to schools dedicated to Roma children, the Equal Treatment Authority of Hungary concluded that not only were authorities responsible for the local system that segregated students, in violation of the principle of equal treatment, but those who tolerated or assisted the maintenance of existing segregation schemes also violated the law. National human rights institutions also have an important role to play. In Mauritius, for example, the ombudsperson has the authority to investigate any type of educational discrimination. The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman, in Norway, and the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, in Sweden, also have such competence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- It is clear that normative action aimed at achieving equality of opportunities in education, both in law and in fact, needs to be intensified. The application of the principle of equality of opportunity in education, which is common to various international human rights treaties, calls for greater emphasis on the fulfilment of State obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Ensure adequate legal protection to the right to education and its equal enjoyment in all its inclusive dimensions: States should incorporate their obligations under international human rights conventions into their domestic legal order. Governments should recognize the key importance of adequate legal frameworks on equality of opportunity in education in line with international standards for ensuring such equality. A strong regulatory framework for public and private education systems grounded in the principle of equality of opportunity provides the essential basis for the establishment of an entire range of programmes and policies aiming at ensuring equality of opportunity;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Address multiple forms of inequality and discrimination through comprehensive policies: Given the mutually reinforcing nature of different forms of discrimination and inequality in the context of education, States should address multiple forms of inequality and discrimination through comprehensive policies. Prevailing disparities in access to education – between boys and girls, and between rich and poor regions –must be given special consideration, recognizing that good policies backed by a commitment to equality can make a difference. Policy measures must respond to the need for making learning accessible for the most marginalized and vulnerable;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Ensure adequate resource allocation: Having regard to the specific needs of those who are victims of marginalization and exclusion as well as to the elimination of geographic disparities in the provision of education, States must ensure adequate allocation of resources where they are needed most. Resources should be earmarked adequately for fellowships, bursaries and grants, along with investments in social protection, bearing in mind the need to address marginalization and exclusion, and educational dimensions of poverty reduction strategies;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Support mechanisms promoting the enforcement of the right to education: States should ensure adequate support to independent national human rights institutions, as these can greatly contribute to identifying inequalities and addressing relevant situations of violation of the right to education’;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Take a human-rights perspective for moving forward the Education For All (EFA) agenda: In order to strengthen effectiveness in combating marginalization and exclusion as part of the EFA process, high emphasis should be placed on human rights obligations, and the responsibility of States to ensure the right to basic education for all. Such approach would provide leverage in moving the EFA agenda further and would foster the central role of education in accelerating progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72f
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Promote integrated follow-up to concluding observations adopted by the United Nations human rights treaty bodies, and to recommendations to States resulting from the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council: Integrated follow-up to concluding observations adopted by the United Nations human rights treaty bodies and to recommendations emerging from the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council would contribute to better ensuring equality of opportunity in education;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72g
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] [Enhance international assistance and cooperation:] International organizations, notably UNESCO and UNICEF, play a key role in the field of education. They can show the way forward by encouraging public debate on issues deemed to be of critical importance, and play an important role in promoting equality-enhancing policies and exchange of experiences on successful practices in the promotion of equality of opportunities. In that spirit, technical assistance to countries in the most difficult situation must be prioritized;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72g
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Enhance international assistance and cooperation: Major inequalities in the enjoyment of the right to education occur in countries facing severe resource constraints. Thus, adequate and sustainable international assistance and cooperation also play a central role in the elimination of inequalities Assistance should be provided, bearing in mind human rights obligations and political commitments, including the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, as well as Goal 8 on developing a global partnership for development;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72h
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Strengthen collaboration with academic institutions and civil society organizations: Fostering inclusive education implies active engagement of civil society. The intellectual community and the civil society play a central role in promoting better understanding of inequalities in education. The advocacy work of these stakeholders is vital to ensuring widespread attention to issues for ensuring equality of opportunity in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2011
- Document code
- A/66/269
Document
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is an internationally recognized right and the provision of adequate financial resources is essential to its realization. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right of everyone to education, which shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, States have undertaken international legal obligations for the fulfilment of the right to education through various human rights instruments and assumed the responsibility of providing the resources required for its realization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Resource constraints, however, remain a major barrier to the realization of the right to education. Prospects for achieving the targets of millennium development goals 2 (Ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling) and 3 (Eliminating gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2015) are bleak on account of a dearth of resources. The assessment prepared for the 2010 High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals underlined the need for scaling up budgets and providing enhanced resources to accelerate progress in meeting those targets. The Education for All Global Monitoring Reports in recent years have consistently pointed to insufficient funding for education. More recently, public expenditure cuts as a consequence of the global financial crisis have threatened to decrease support to the education sector, possibly jeopardizing recent advances. For instance, 7 of 18 low-income countries reduced spending on education in 2009; those countries alone had 3.7 million children out of school.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- In view of the critical need to overcome resource constraints for the realization of the right to education and for the achievement of internationally agreed goals such as the millennium development goals and Education for All, in the present report the Special Rapporteur recalls States' obligations regarding the provision of domestic resources for basic education and presents examples of national legal instruments adopted to secure adequate financial resources for education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- In accordance with international human rights treaties, States are responsible for providing resources to ensure the enjoyment of human rights. Providing the necessary resources for the enjoyment of the right to education is all the more important, given that the enjoyment of this right is essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It deserves high priority in public investment, as both the individual and society are its beneficiaries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- States' obligations to ensure the provision of full resources to overcome constraints to the realization of the right to education consistently figure in the concluding observations adopted by the United Nations human rights treaty bodies. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have often expressed concern about declining educational standards due to lack of State investment in education and have recommended that the resources allocated to the education sector should be increased. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has also systematically urged States to increase investment in education as a fundamental human right and as a basis for the empowerment of women. Recommendations resulting from the Universal Periodic Review process of the Human Rights Council for the provision of increased resources to education further confirm the wide recognition of the central relevance of financing education for the fulfilment of human rights obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Commitments to finance education are also present in the International Labour Organization (ILO)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966), which recognizes the need for high priority to be given in all countries to setting aside, within the national budget, an adequate proportion of national income for the development of education. In fact, the right to education is an integral part of the institutional mission of UNESCO, and Member States have the obligation of providing the necessary resources for its realization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The concept of the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to education, recognizes that their realization often extends over time. It also implies that measures to promote the fulfilment of a right must be adopted with a view to ensuring a sustainable expansion of its enjoyment across the country. When referring to the progressive realization of the right to education, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights emphasized that States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights have a specific and continuing obligation "to move as expeditiously and effectively as possible" towards the full realization of that right. It also underlined: "there is a strong presumption of impermissibility of any retrogressive measures". In that sense, support to education must be driven by consideration of the need to ensure the gradual expansion of the education sector.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Various United Nations human rights treaty bodies have expressed concern regarding the possible impact of economic crises on the enjoyment of human rights. The Committee on Economic and Social Rights specified that "even in times of severe resources constraints, whether caused by a process of adjustment, of economic recession or by other factors, the vulnerable members of society can and indeed must be protected by the adoption of relatively low-cost targeted programmes". More recently, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in which it called upon States to note that the global economic and financial crises did not diminish the responsibility of national authorities in the realization of human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- States' obligations to satisfy, as a matter of priority, "minimum essential levels of each of the rights" recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, also referred to as "minimum core obligations", have immediate effect. Core obligations relating to the right to education include the obligation to provide primary education free of charge for all in accordance with article 13.2 (a) and the obligation to adopt and implement a national educational strategy that includes the provision of secondary, higher and fundamental education. Article 14 of the Covenant further underlines the core obligation to adopt a plan of action aimed at securing the progressive implementation of the right to compulsory primary education, free of charge, within a reasonable time frame.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are all explicit about States parties' obligations to provide maximum available resources to ensure the enjoyment of human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- In its general comment on the nature of States parties' obligations, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights underlined that even where the available resources are inadequate for the realization of economic and social rights, the obligation remains for a State party to strive to ensure the widest possible enjoyment of those rights under the prevailing circumstances, to monitor the extent of their realization, and to devise strategies and programmes for their promotion. Mentions of resources refer to financing, but not exclusively.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, States have an obligation to take steps individually and through international assistance and cooperation, to the maximum extent of their available resources, with a view to achieving the progressive realization of rights. The specific obligations of the international community towards financing the right to education have been underlined by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. At the same time, States requiring international assistance must seek and manage aid in accordance with human rights norms and standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- By virtue of the principle of international solidarity, least developed countries, faced with serious financial constraints, deserve such assistance, a priori. Development partners must provide "financial and technical support" to those countries "to implement their national education plans and programmes, including increased accessibility in rural and remote areas". For their part, the least developed countries need to strengthen their national education systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- A number of political declarations on international aid underline the need for the adequate management of domestically available resources by recipient countries, which must contribute to the enhanced sustainability of development efforts. For example, through the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, partner countries commit themselves to "intensify efforts to mobilize domestic resources, strengthen fiscal sustainability and create an enabling environment for public and private investment". Similarly, the United Nations Global Compact launched by the Secretary-General at the International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico in 2002, provides that if developing countries improve governance and achieved results, the donors would come up with the necessary funding to reach the millennium development goals. The Education for All Fast Track Initiative, the most important mechanism of international assistance for education, was designed to assist countries to achieve millennium development goal 2 and the Education for All goals, and pays particular attention to the adequate management of domestic resources by recipient countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- In 2006, States and international organizations involved in development aid established the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development to devise additional international financing mechanisms to promote global development. The International Task Force on Innovative Financing for Education, established as part of that initiative, is currently discussing a number of alternatives to enhance funding for education, including the mobilization of domestic resources as well as international aid.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Commitments to finance primary education are expressed in numerous international declarations and are at the heart of major global campaigns. At the World Education Forum in 2000, Governments, along with other stakeholders, pledged themselves to a strategy, inter alia, to "mobilize strong national and international political commitment for education for all, develop national action plans and enhance significantly investment in basic education". Those pledges include the commitment that "political will must be underpinned by resources". It is thus incumbent upon Governments to provide domestic resources for achieving Education for All. Access to education, as a basic human right, is considered a "strategic development investment".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The Millennium Development Goals should also be construed as a reaffirmation of obligations expressed in human rights treaties and, therefore, of the responsibility of Governments to provide financial resources for education. Millennium development goal 2 reflects the obligation to ensure universal primary education, including the obligation to ensure that no direct or indirect costs deprive children of their right to education. Millennium development goal 3 reflects the obligation to ensure gender parity at all levels of education, including the duty to provide financial resources for that purpose.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- It is incumbent upon States to incorporate in domestic law their international obligations to finance education. Provisions for public funding of education in a country's constitution, national legislation and educational policies are crucial to give effect to obligations relating to the realization of the right to education. The Special Rapporteur considers that the adoption of a national legal framework for financing education indicates the importance and priority given to the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Through law reforms promoted in the context of the Education for All process, one can witness the emergence of the right to basic education in continuum with the right to primary education in national legal frameworks. As a result, States recognize their duty to guarantee universal access to basic education. The 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, for example, called on all Commonwealth countries to commit further resources to basic education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Constitutional provisions on financing education provide a firm basis for developing national legislation and education policies. Such provisions exist in several countries that have different criteria for determining minimum levels of investment in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Some constitutions establish a minimum level of resources that must be committed to education as a proportion of tax revenues. The Constitution of Brazil provides in article 212 that "the Union shall apply annually not less than 18 per cent of its tax revenues, and the States, the Federal District, and Counties at least 25 per cent of the tax revenues, including revenues resulting from transfers, for the maintenance and development of education".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Other constitutions establish a minimal share for education in the overall national budget. The Constitution of Indonesia, as revised in 2002, establishes in article 31 (4) that the State shall prioritize the budget for education to a minimum of 20 per cent of the State budget and of the regional budgets to fulfil the needs of implementation of national education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Other constitutions use the national gross domestic product (GDP) to calculate the minimum support required for education. The 2008 Constitution of Ecuador provides that public expenditure for education shall be 6 per cent of GDP. The 1997 Constitution of Costa Rica contains similar provisions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Finally, other constitutions lay down the obligation to prioritize investment in education. The Constitution of Ethiopia provides that "the State has the obligation to allocate ever increasing resources to provide to the public health, education and other social services" (art. 41 (4)). Similarly, the Constitutions of the Philippines and of Viet Nam provide that the State shall give priority investment to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has underlined the importance of national legislation for giving effect to State obligations. National legislation developed in many countries, often in the context of the Education for All process, contains important provisions for financing basic education, establishing minimal levels of financial support and responsibilities in that regard. Recent developments that can be cited as practical examples are described below.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- In South Africa, basic education is a constitutional right. The South African Schools Act, 1996 provides that "subject to the Constitution and this Act, the Minister must determine norms and minimum standards for the funding of public schools after consultation with the Council of Education Ministers, the Financial and Fiscal Commission and the Minister of Finance" (para. 35).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- In Nigeria, the Act on Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education, 2004, which provides for nine years of compulsory basic education, establishes the Universal Basic Education Commission, entrusted with the task of implementing the right to basic education and with the provision of resources. The universal basic education programme is financed by 2 per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- In Argentina, the National Education Law No. 26.206 of 2007 provides that the resources for education shall be increased to 6 per cent of GDP in 2010. The Law lays down a right to compulsory schooling from the age of 5 until the completion of secondary education (art. 16).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In Mexico, the General Law on Education, revised in 2003, provides for 8 per cent of GDP to be allocated to public education and education services (art. 25). It is reported that this contributed to an increase in support to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In India, policies for financing basic education have emanated from national legislation, as exemplified by measures being taken for the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. An exponential increase in expenditure on education in the country's five-year plan is reported as a consequence of this framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In Senegal, Law 91-22 of 1991 on the orientation of national education, modified in 2004 by Law 2004-37, institutes compulsory schooling for all children aged between 6 and 16, which is free in all public schools. The recognition of the duty to provide education was reportedly followed by an increase in national investment to nearly 40 per cent of the national budget.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In Kenya, the adoption of the Children's Act of 2001 and of education strategies for the 21st century underlined the core commitment to universalize primary education. It is reported that resource allocations to education have increased significantly as a result of that commitment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- In China, the Compulsory Education Law, as amended in 2006, provides for nine years of basic education. It guarantees that basic education will be financed by the State Council and local people's governments. The National Plan for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) recognizes that funding of education is a basic and strategic investment. Under the plan, it is proposed to raise public expenditure on education to 4 per cent of GDP by 2012.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Some legal frameworks devolve financing responsibilities to subnational entities. In Iceland, the Compulsory School Act No. 19 of 2008, provides that the municipalities shall finance the capital investment costs of compulsory education. In Thailand, the National Education Act, 1999 authorizes the State and local bodies to levy educational taxes as appropriate. Some countries having a federal system make specific financing arrangements in terms of the competence and responsibility of federal and provincial (state) authorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Legal instruments can enable the mobilization of additional resources for education. A 2 per cent education cess on all central taxes levied in India has resulted in an important expansion of funding for the elementary education sector. Similarly, the National Plan of China, mentioned above, proposes an education surtax accounting for 3 per cent of the value-added tax, to be spent specifically on educational undertakings. Mobilizing additional resources through such special taxation schemes is crucial in reinforcing budgetary provisions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Public investment in basic education can be enhanced by mobilizing additional resources from contributions of local bodies, private donors and communities through institutional mechanisms that supplement Government funding. For example, the Tanzania Education Authority, under the Education Fund Act, 2001 can "receive gifts, donations, grants or other moneys on behalf of the Fund". Similar mechanisms exist, for instance, in India with the Bharatiya Shiksa Kosh (education fund) and in Nigeria with the Education Tax Fund. It must be ensured that the modus operandi of all such institutional mechanisms is fully respectful of transparency and accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- The present report focuses only on financing education through public resources. However, it is clear that the private sector can complement State initiatives in providing education by entering into partnerships with Governments for equitably sharing responsibilities. It should, however, be ensured that such partnerships operate within a legal framework that requires full compliance with human rights norms and with standards of quality education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- As described above, human rights instruments clearly establish State obligations to finance education. Translating these obligations into practice requires a number of legal and policy instruments to ensure that investment in education is predictable and sustainable and that financial resources are made available and properly utilized in a timely manner to ensure the broadest possible enjoyment of the right to education. Adopting a legal framework for financing education offers an important tool for fostering accountability, as action affecting public investment in education can become the subject of domestic legal action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Below, the Special Rapporteur mentions some core concerns that deserve further attention in the implementation of legal instruments for financing basic education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In order to overcome resource constraints on the Education for All agenda, the High-level Group on Education for All has advocated for ensuring that a minimum proportion of national budgets (15 to 20 per cent) or share of GDP (4 to 6 per cent) is dedicated to education. As described above, mechanisms establishing that a proportion of overall public expenditure or the revenue from specific taxes is earmarked to education have already accomplished results in the expansion of funding for education in various countries. It is clear that an evaluation of the effectiveness of those mechanisms over time will depend on the overall functioning of fiscal and budgetary policy mechanisms in place in a given State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- While allocating the maximum amount of domestic resources to education is crucial, it is of equally critical importance to ensure their effective and optimal utilization. Beyond securing funds for education, legal instruments protecting the right to education can further guide State action for the utilization of resources assigned to education in accordance with human rights obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Bearing in mind the obligation to ensure universal primary education and commitments to meet the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All agenda, public funding for primary and basic education should be ensured as a matter of priority.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of financial management in the area of education requires attention to the core principles of equality and non-discrimination. In the allocation of funds to the various education levels and regions within a territory, prevailing socio-economic disparities and their implications for the education sector must be taken into consideration. In situations where schools are funded through subnational budgets, it is also necessary to ensure that differences in revenues collected locally do not result in inequalities between regions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Specific resources must be ensured to address the root causes of the exclusion from education of girls, those living in poverty or with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities, migrants, and other marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Specific measures targeting important obstacles to education must be considered, including the abolition of school fees and the provision of subsidies for other costs, such as textbooks, uniforms and transportation. Temporary special measures to provide financial support to such groups through affirmative action have a normative basis in international human rights treaties. Particular attention must be paid to the principles of transparency and accountability in the management of education budgets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Finally, frameworks regulating education expenditure must give foremost consideration to the improvement of quality education, recognizing the centrality of education in people's lives and the empowering role of quality education. Often education budgets are fully consumed by recurring expenditure, mostly teachers' salaries, which, unfortunately are often very low and result in difficulties in attracting qualified professionals. Investment in essential areas such as the development of pedagogic materials, the training of teaching personnel and improving working conditions remains neglected. The Special Rapporteur intends to examine this question in another thematic report, on quality education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States cannot fulfil their international obligations concerning the realization of the right to education unless they provide the necessary resources for education and make them available on a consistent and predictable basis. For this purpose, national legal and policy frameworks ensuring investment in education play a crucial role. They are also essential in accelerating sustainable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and moving the Education for All agenda forward. Education is indeed the best investment a country can make and deserves the highest priority in resource allocation. As a global public good of paramount importance, education should receive strong commitments from global leaders for its funding.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- [In that spirit, the Special Rapporteur provides the following recommendations:] A national law whereby at least a minimum level of investment is indispensably assured for quality education is highly necessary. Following up on the recommendations made consistently by the High-level Group on Education for All, the establishment of an internationally accepted norm, whereby a certain minimum percentage of GNP (4-6 per cent) or of the national budget (15-20 per cent) is allocated to education may be valuable in providing the basis for developing a national legal and policy framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- [In that spirit, the Special Rapporteur provides the following recommendations:] It is of crucial importance for countries to devise new approaches to resource allocation and its utilization. To enhance investment in education as a national priority, budget lines for education can be provided for in various ministries concerned with social development (ministries of social welfare, child and women's development, labour, health, etc.). At the same time, broadening the tax base is important for creating more budgetary resources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- [In that spirit, the Special Rapporteur provides the following recommendations:] Education does not often receive the priority it deserves at the national level in terms of budget allocations. To ensure that education receives priority attention, it would be expedient to promote public dialogue among ministers of education and ministers of finance and planning on the necessary steps to secure maximum funding for education. An exchange of ideas and approaches among countries regarding legal and policy frameworks for financing education would enable national authorities to draw upon available experiences and practical examples from a comparative perspective and could provide insight into new avenues for investment in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- [In that spirit, the Special Rapporteur provides the following recommendations:] Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 17/3, UNESCO and UNICEF should be encouraged to continue to provide technical assistance to Member States for modernizing/developing national legislation. In this process, the importance of provisions for the financing of basic education should be emphasized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- [In that spirit, the Special Rapporteur provides the following recommendations:] Budgetary provision for quality education is scarce as almost the totality of resources assigned for education go to recurring expenditure. A paradigm shift is required to respond to quality imperatives, which remains a daunting challenge.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The General Assembly, in its resolution 64/290, requested the Special Rapporteur to include in his next interim report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session an update to the report on the right to education in emergencies submitted in 2008 by his predecessor (A/HRC/8/10) in order to identify gaps and remaining challenges in ensuring the right to education in emergency situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- In the 2008 report, emergencies were defined as any crisis situations due to natural disasters, or to armed conflict, which may be international (including military occupation) or internal, as defined in international humanitarian law, or post-conflict situations. It was pointed out in the report that, besides being a widely recognized State obligation, ensuring adequate education was indispensable for preventing emergencies and ensuring success in peacebuilding and recovery efforts. It was underlined, however, that education was frequently found to be interrupted, delayed or even denied during emergencies and in the reconstruction process. In the report a number of recommendations were presented to States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for better protecting education and ensuring its inclusion as an integral part of the humanitarian response to conflicts and natural disasters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The current update is divided into six sections reflecting the content and core recommendations of resolution 64/290. Each section provides an indication of remaining challenges in the promotion of education in emergencies, and progress made in the past three years. The first section focuses on the recommendation for increasing political and financial support to education in emergencies. The second section addresses the recommendation to better protect schools from attacks and to ensure accountability. The third section addresses the recommendation to better prepare education systems for situations of natural disaster. The fourth section addresses the recommendation that attention be given to the specific needs of girls and other marginalized groups. The fifth section focuses on the recommendation to ensure quality education in emergencies. The sixth section is dedicated to the need for improving the collection of data on education in emergencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Millions of persons continue to be deprived of their right to education in emergencies. Enhanced political attention and sustainable financial support are essential to safeguard this fundamental right. Lack of sufficient attention to education in emergencies continues to affect prospects for achieving both the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All (EFA) goals. The EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2011 underlines that around 28 million children of primary school age in conflict-affected countries are estimated to be currently out of school. This represents 42 per cent of the total number of children in the world who are out of school. Education is also at risk from natural and man-made disasters: an estimated 875 million schoolchildren live in high seismic risk zones and hundreds of millions more face regular flood, landslide, extreme wind and fire hazards, as well as slow onset disasters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- General Assembly resolution 64/290 reflects States' recognition of the urgency of ensuring the realization of the right to education as an integral element of humanitarian assistance and response. Debate and research efforts within the United Nations system are helping to unveil what has been called a "hidden crisis" by the EFA Global Monitoring Report. Thematic days of discussion focused on the topic were conducted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2008 and the General Assembly in 2009.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Increased and more coordinated attention to education among the stakeholders providing humanitarian assistance remains a key concern. The recent partnership between The Sphere Project and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) in preparing the companionship agreement guiding the integration of quality education in humanitarian response represents an important step in the promotion of more coherent and dedicated attention to education within the humanitarian community. Traditionally excluded from humanitarian priorities, the restoration of access to education continues to be cited as a priority by families and young people affected by emergencies. Responding to the needs identified by communities affected is an essential component of humanitarian responses, and central to the implementation of the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Despite the increased recognition of the importance of education in emergencies by the international community and by communities affected by emergencies, funding remains extremely limited. Only a few donor agencies have explicitly included education as part of their humanitarian policies. The EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2011 underlined that in 2009, the share of humanitarian aid dedicated to education in conflict-related emergencies represented merely 2 per cent of total humanitarian aid. It concluded: Education is the poor neighbour of a humanitarian aid system that is underfinanced, unpredictable and governed by short-termism. It suffers from a double disadvantage: education accounts for a small share of humanitarian appeals, and an even smaller share of the appeals that get funded.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Evaluations indicate that some particularly fragile countries requiring education funding are left behind, with donors clearly prioritizing countries linked with their security priorities: official development assistance to fragile States is highly concentrated, with 51 per cent of 2008 official development assistance for 43 fragile States benefiting just six countries, which account for only 23 per cent of the population of the total number of fragile States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The volatility of support is another cause of concern. As already indicated, the sustainability of financial support is crucial for the adequate functioning of education systems. It can only be ensured through continued financial support enabling programmes to continue their course uninterrupted. Important opportunities are missed in post-emergency situations because of the lack of sustainable support and funding in the transition from a humanitarian response to a development framework. The need for further investment in national planning and information systems in recipient countries is also underlined in those contexts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The Education For All - Fast Track Initiative is working to increase its support to fragile States, but so far has lacked the capacity to deliver financing in acute emergency settings. In addition to bilateral support, a number of additional financing modalities exist to finance education in emergencies, but these are still clearly insufficient.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur underlines that emergencies do not relieve States from their obligation to take all appropriate measures to ensure the realization of the right to education of all persons in their territories, including non-nationals, refugees or internally displaced groups. Ensuring financial support for primary education in order to guarantee that it continues to be available during emergencies, making secondary education available without discrimination and promoting access to higher education on the basis of capacity are nothing more than the fulfilment of a human rights obligation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Given the fragility of some States affected by emergencies, and the central role of international assistance and cooperation in that context, it is important to recall that the obligation to provide international assistance is established in human rights law. It is also reflected in numerous international declarations, including the Dakar Framework of Action on Education for All, adopted by the World Education Forum in 2000. Moreover, as noted above, States requiring assistance are also obliged to seek and manage external assistance in accordance with human rights principles.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against schools and institutions of higher education violate human rights and humanitarian law. Nonetheless, as recently reported by the Secretary General, attacks against schools are a significant concern and a growing trend. Insecurity still prevails in many education institutions located in conflict zones, with long-lasting consequences for education systems and students.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Studies indicate a continued increase in the reported number of attacks on education in situations of conflict and widespread violence over the past three years. Such episodes include harming or killing students and school personnel, damaging or destroying education facilities and ultimately preventing thousands of students from attending school or university owing to closures. The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund reports that applications from threatened scholars doubled during the period 2008-2011 as compared to the previous period. In certain situations, the use of schools by armed elements has compromised the civilian nature of schools and put students and teachers at risk.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Despite deficiencies in monitoring mechanisms, increased attention on the part of the international community to situations of attack against education in emergencies can be noted. In 2010, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack was established by international and non-governmental organizations to jointly promote efforts to prevent, respond to and monitor attacks against education. The Secretary-General included information on such situations in his most recent report on children in armed conflict. The same was done by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, who recalled the importance of protecting schools against attacks and underlined that "enhancing accountability mechanisms for such crimes is key to ensuring that schools remain safe havens and zones of peace".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers that enhancing the capacity of mechanisms monitoring situations where education systems are targeted by those involved in armed conflict is essential to end invisibility and impunity. In that regard, he welcomes the recent adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1998 (2011), in which, expressing deep concern about attacks against schools, the Council requested the Secretary-General to include in the annexes to his reports on children and armed conflict information about recurrent attacks on schools and recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to schools. The Security Council's monitoring and reporting mechanism has already played an important role in the identification of grave violations committed against children in armed conflict, and continuing and growing attention to attacks against schools will be vital to enhance protection of the right to education. To further ensure accountability, the capacity of domestic and international justice systems must also be enhanced, allowing for the prosecution of perpetrators, including non-State actors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Beyond ensuring accountability for attacks against schools, targeted efforts are also required to prevent the occurrence of attacks against schools and other education institutions and to prepare them for situations of insecurity in order to minimize the damage armed conflict may cause. Finally, dedicated efforts are required to assist victims in their recovery and to ensure appropriate individual and collective reparation for these education-related violations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The increasing number of natural disasters must not be ignored by those in charge of education systems. Schools not only play a crucial role in preparing communities to be more resilient in such situations, but also need to be adequately prepared to minimize the harm that natural disasters may eventually cause to their own functioning. Thus, specific attention to the education sector is required in the development of overall disaster risk reduction strategies. At the same time, schools must develop and adopt systematic safety and security measures adapted to the specific circumstances they face.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Schools are often not constructed or maintained to be disaster resilient. An extensive consultation with children around the globe resulted in the recent preparation of a children's charter for disaster risk reduction, which highlights the need for schools to be safe and education not to be interrupted. INEE coordinated the preparation of guidance notes on the necessary steps to ensure the construction of safer schools and the adaptation of existing ones. A major effort is needed to build technical capacity for, and ensure the adoption of, safer standards for education infrastructure to avoid tragedies where seismic or other hazards take the lives of large numbers of children in unsafe schools.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Attention is being paid also to the use of schools as a platform to increase the preparation of learners and education staff for disasters and their aftermath. Several countries have included disaster risk reduction elements in their school curriculum, others have considered making disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation a national education priority.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur underlines that investing in preventive efforts through education is crucial to protect schools and the communities they serve from the impact of natural disasters. Therefore, education systems must be actively engaged in the development and implementation of risk management strategies. Through their regular activities, schools must also contribute to establishing a culture of prevention and preparedness among students, staff and the communities to which they belong. Considering that the risks and needs of communities vary greatly, even within the same region, it is important to ensure that risk management strategies are prepared through meaningful participatory processes involving the communities where schools are located.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The failure of Governments to tackle persistent inequalities based on income, gender, location, ethnicity and language is one of the reasons for the limited progress in the realization of the Education for All goals as well as the Millennium Development Goals. Obstacles to schooling that are already present during periods of normality have their impact obviously magnified in emergency contexts. The costs of schooling can greatly increase and commuting between school and home often becomes very difficult and insecure, further excluding those living in poverty or more vulnerable to violence. In this sense, targeted initiatives identifying marginalized groups and addressing their specific needs are necessary to avoid widening inequalities in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Efforts to ensure gender parity in education are particularly relevant in this context. Attention has been drawn to the pervasive harm of sexual violence during conflict, which directly and indirectly affects female teachers and students. Insecurity on the way to and from and within schools or colleges appears as a central element in the exclusion of girls from the education system. The lack of separate sanitary facilities in emergency schools can also constitute a major barrier to girls' education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Despite the obvious resource constraints experienced in emergencies, neglecting the impact of discrimination and structural inequalities in education while planning, implementing and evaluating education policies in these situations can lead to further marginalization and in some cases contribute to a recurrence of conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Refugees and internally displaced persons continue to face great obstacles when seeking education outside their communities of origin. Data collected by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees within official camps indicated limited and uneven access to education across camps; the overall primary school participation rate of refugee children in camps was 69 per cent and at the secondary level only 30 per cent. Several countries maintain administrative barriers to the enrolment of both refugee and internally displaced children, despite human rights obligations to provide education without discrimination of any kind to all children living in their territories and the relevant provisions of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Short-term financing of projects in situations of prolonged displacement threatens the education, and progression, of many thousands of refugee and internally displaced children; gaps in the financing of education in such situations must be addressed as a matter of priority because of the long-lasting impact of the denial of education to these populations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur already underlined in his first report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/29) that equality of opportunity in education permeates most human rights treaties. Human rights treaties establish the duty to ensure the right of access to public educational institutions and programmes on a non discriminatory basis, and to provide primary education for all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Enrolment in school does not alone ensure the fulfilment of the right to education if, for example, the quality of the education provided does not correspond to adequate standards. Resource constraints faced in periods of emergency do not justify overlooking basic requirements to ensure quality education, such as the presence of qualified teachers, the availability of adequate educational materials, adequate real teaching time and improved classroom environments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- States, international organizations and civil society continue to contribute guidance to improve quality education in emergencies through materials prepared by INEE. A consultative process involving stakeholders concerned with education in emergencies all over the world led to an updated version of the INEE Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response, Recovery providing important policy guidance on the necessary steps to ensure quality education. The recently released INEE Guidance Notes on Teaching and Learning provide more specific pedagogical guidance based on the accumulated experience of educators working in emergency situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- As discussed above, the inadequate and short-term funding of emergency and transitional education programmes deeply affect the possibilities of addressing serious deficiencies that result in very low levels of quality in education. Moreover, the overall tendency of humanitarian work to focus solely on primary education limits investment in early childhood care and development, and in secondary and higher education. This bias greatly limits prospects of progression for students and increases the challenges for training teachers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011 describes a number of issues critical to ensuring quality education for students affected by or at risk of conflict. They include ensuring that children can learn in their mother tongue, particularly at the early stages, rethinking the teaching of history and religion so it illustrates different perspectives on conflict-sensitive issues, and promoting non-violent school environments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- The effective teaching of literacy, numeracy and life skills, such as health preparedness and conflict resolution, is crucial to enhancing resilience during periods of emergency. School staff must be given adequate incentives, and have their capacity enhanced, to give appropriate attention to the psychosocial needs of students, using resources and making schedule arrangements that allow for recreational and expressive activities, as well as referring severely affected students for additional support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- The provision of learning achievement certification is another concern related to the quality of education in emergency contexts, in particular for students in refugee schools. Specific strategies are required to ensure that, even in times of crisis, students have their achievements adequately monitored, documented and recognized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Limitations in data collection in emergency situations continue to affect humanitarian efforts as a whole. Lack of capacity to accurately assess education needs limits the possibilities for accurately designing and evaluating education initiatives in emergency contexts. As already mentioned, poor monitoring further results in invisibility and consequent impunity in situations where schools are directly targeted by violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- The EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011 pointed to serious limitations in data collection in conflict situations: "assessments of need for communities caught up in conflict are at best haphazard, even taking into account the inevitable constraints associated with conducting surveys in conflict affected areas". It also underlined that donors' assessments tend to underestimate needs in the education sector as their proposals are often tailored to meet low expectations of donor funding. Limited attention is paid to needs assessment for qualitative aspects of education, such as textbook supply, hours of study and in-service teacher training. Human resources and infrastructure requirements for secondary education tend also to be completely ignored.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Collecting information during emergencies requires specific strategies to overcome the various obstacles faced in such circumstances. These obstacles may include difficult logistics, physical insecurity, the political and ethical implications of activities in rapidly changing environments, and the technical challenges of working with mobile populations and populations with unusual demographic compositions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The Global Education Cluster developed a Joint Education Needs Assessment Toolkit in 2010, as well as a Short Guide for Rapid Needs Assessments to provide guidance on data collection in emergency situations. The need for further improving monitoring capacities through the definition of a core set of indicators, including estimated numbers of children and youth to be reached, age and gender profiles, patterns of displacement, education materials, teacher and infrastructure requirements needed to guide the estimation of financing requirements has been underlined.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- As discussed in the previous report on education in emergency situations (A/HRC/8/10), severely limited access to education continues to be a reality for most of the communities affected by emergencies. Despite increased attention by the international community, crucial problems persist: funding for humanitarian activities continues to ignore requirements to ensure education; schools continue to be victimized by direct and indirect violence; and preventive efforts are still timid vis-à-vis an increased impact of natural disasters. To reverse the current trend, States and other entities providing and channelling humanitarian and transitional assistance must pay enhanced attention to education in emergencies. Providing education and ensuring that education is protected during periods of emergency is not a choice, but an obligation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- States must urgently increase their national, bilateral and multilateral funding commitments for education as a pillar of humanitarian and transitional response. Explicit policy commitments must be made to ensure adequate and sustainable domestic and international support for education in situations of emergency, as well as in situations of fragility and protracted crisis. Such commitments must follow through to the final stages of recovery, including in development frameworks. Recipient countries must comply with human rights while seeking and managing international assistance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure systematic monitoring, documenting and reporting of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed against members of education communities and education institutions and settings. The recent adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1998 (2011) must be followed by enhanced attention to the situation of education in future efforts for monitoring violations of child rights during armed conflict. Domestic, regional and international accountability mechanisms, including those of the military, should be fully cognizant of, as well as systematically address, the obligations of State and non-State actors with respect to the right to education and other legal protections guaranteed to members of education communities and institutions. Specific efforts are required to strengthen the capacity of education providers to prevent and respond to attacks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that disaster risk and safety considerations are factored into the planning, design, construction and reconstruction of educational facilities. Disaster risk reduction and preparedness notions should be embedded in education policies and curricula. Participatory processes involving students and their communities must be used to ensure local hazard assessments and preparedness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- States must take specific measure to guarantee the education of girls and marginalized groups in situations of emergency. Specific efforts are required to eliminate persistent or emerging patterns of discrimination and to remove physical, financial, cultural and linguistic barriers that contribute to furthering inequalities during periods of emergency
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Those in charge of the provision of education in emergencies must consider the requirements for meeting quality educational standards. Dedicated attention must be paid to improving school curricula, promoting human rights education and addressing the psychosocial needs of students and teachers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Further investments are required to ensure systematic data collection on the situation of education in emergencies. States and international and non governmental organizations providing support to education in emergencies should work on the development of a common framework for the assessment and reporting of met and unmet education needs in contexts of emergency. Such a framework must take into consideration human rights obligations regarding the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Governance and the right to education
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2018
- Document code
- A/HRC/38/32
Document
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the right to education; concerns, challenges and opportunities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2020
- Document code
- A/HRC/44/39
Document
Impact of the digitalization of education on the right to education
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2022
- Document code
- A/HRC/50/32
Document
Inclusion, equity and the right to education
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- A/72/496
Document
Interrelations between the right to education and the rights to water and sanitation
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2020
- Document code
- A/75/178
Document
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Document code
- A/HRC/32/37
Document
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Digital technologies are becoming ubiquitous and provide vast opportunities for new forms of connections and collaboration, as knowledge and information can be digitized and transmitted electronically. They are transforming learning and teaching, and the everyday lives of academics and students. As Nicholas Carr wrote in The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, "the future of knowledge and culture no longer lies in books ... or records or CDs. It lies in digital files shot through our universal medium at the speed of light".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Information and communications technologies are used to access digital content (the digital versions of analogue originals, such as scanned textbooks). Increasingly, content is being designed for digital use. Online education materials and courses, e-textbooks and video and audio files streamed on the Internet, as all of which are modes of e-learning, are revolutionizing the provision of education. Broadband services and information and communications technologies can play a fundamental role in making knowledge, information and education accessible and in supporting the development of new skills.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The digital revolution is taking place at a dazzling rate, as digital devices multiply learning pathways and diversify learning approaches.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Many countries and universities are keen to embrace the potential of information and communications technologies, as the Special Rapporteur witnessed during his recent visit to Fiji. A key element in the discussion of the implications of digital technology for educational institutions is the notion that universities no longer hold a monopoly on knowledge, as new actors, such as for-profit education institutions and other private providers, enter the field.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Massive open online courses provide an alternative path to higher education. Many universities worldwide are now offering online courses, either alone or in conjunction with a massive open online course provider. Many enthusiastic promoters of knowledge societies, networking and lifelong learning can dream today of a world converted into a giant classroom in which there are a few powerful global teachers and millions of assimilators of information and knowledge packages through the Internet. Similarly, open educational resources can harness the new possibility afforded by digital technology to address common educational challenges. As a result, the landscape of higher education is undergoing rapid transformations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- In spite of progress made, there are still inequalities in higher education, particularly in developing and least developed countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States recognized the importance of the spread of information and communications technologies and global interconnectedness, and stressed the need to bridge the digital divide and to develop knowledge societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In the 1988 World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action, the potential and the challenges of information and communications technologies were addressed, with a focus on quality and high standards and concern for inequalities. Institutions of higher education using information and communications technologies to modernize their work should make sure they do not transform themselves from real into virtual institutions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 34
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- Digital technologies are ubiquitous only in principle; in real life, their presence is fractured by the digital divide.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Statistics from the International Telecommunication Union show that, despite impressive growth overall, developing countries continue to lag behind. In 2015, 34 per cent of households in developing countries and only 7 per cent of those in the least developed countries had Internet access, compared with more than 80 per cent in developed countries, creating a global average of 43 per cent. In Africa, one in five people use the Internet, compared to almost two in five people in Asia and the Pacific and three in five people in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The fundamental challenge is making access to learning and educational resources through the Internet more equal among countries, but also making equal the capacity to supply such education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 36
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- One of the barriers that must be addressed relates to the cost of investing in information and communications technologies. The technological infrastructure, along with the software, the technical support, educator training, and maintenance, requires significant financial support from the State. Digital devices are not always affordable in the developing world, neither to students nor to public educational establishments. The high costs of digital technology are causing universities to establish consortiums to share resources, costs and infrastructure.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 37
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- Technology in education provides important benefits but it can also impair the right to education. While a digital device-based education can bring advantages in the form of access to a computer or electronic device, when students or schools lack the financial means to obtain access, they fall behind. When only some schools are provided with technology, or when private schools can afford better technology, existing social divisions in education outcomes will increase.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 38
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- In this respect, it is important to note that States are responsible, under international human rights law, for providing resources for the realization of the right to education. Recognizing education as a foundation of human development, Governments must devote maximum public funds to education as a matter of norm. For budgets to be allocated to education on a firm and enduring basis, a legal framework providing sustainable political and financial support is crucial. Massive open online courses should not be used by Governments to reduce public funding and cut instructional costs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 39
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- The use of digital technology risks creating divisions within society. Devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, and broadband services, are required to access the Internet. People in urban areas receive access of better quality first, leaving those in remote areas disadvantaged or cut off. Reliable access to electricity to charge devices is often a problem in the developing world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 40
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- Information and communications technologies can result in educational deprivation, particularly for the poor. Special attention must be paid to questions related to access and skills for the most marginalized groups, including girls and women and persons with disabilities. The guiding principle must be to adopt an all-inclusive approach.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 41
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- Provision of education through digital technology may also contribute to gender disparities. Currently, in developing countries, males are far more likely than females to own and use information and communications technologies. In low-to-middle-income countries, 25 per cent fewer women than men have Internet connectivity, and this gap rises to nearly 50 per cent in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Children with disabilities face several barriers in accessing information and communications technologies, as they may need adaptive technologies to use computers, tablets and mobile telephones. Moreover, online digital content may need to be converted into another format. Children in developing countries who do not attend schools rarely have access to computers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The signatories to the declaration adopted at the International Conference on Information and Communications Technologies and Post-2015 Education, held in Qingdao, China, affirmed their collective understanding of how to unleash the full potential of information and communications technologies for education and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the Incheon Declaration and the Education 2030 framework for action and to the use of technology to strengthen access to and inclusion in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 44
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- The application of technology to education must always be conducted in conformity with the right to education. It is important to ensure that the principles and norms of the right to education are preserved when using information and communications technologies. Universal access is an essential prerequisite for the full exercise of the right to education. Under a number of international conventions establishing the right to education, States have international obligations to provide primary education at no cost. They also have the obligation to make secondary education, including technical and vocational education, generally accessible; higher education should be made accessible, on the basis of merit or capacity. Education at all levels must be made, progressively, accessible to all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 45
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- The Special Rapporteur recalls that, as equality of opportunity in education is a principle underlying all human rights conventions, it must be respected. The framework for action for the implementation of the Incheon Declaration contains a commitment by Governments to make tertiary education progressively free, in line with existing international agreements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular article 28, States parties recognized the need to achieve the right to education progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity. Specifically, they committed to promoting and encouraging international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. In article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States parties recognized the right of persons with disabilities to education and committed to ensuring an inclusive education system at all levels. They also committed to taking appropriate measures to train professionals in disability awareness and the use of augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, educational techniques and materials to support persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- States parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities further committed to taking appropriate measures to promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet, and to promoting the design, development, production and distribution of information and communications technologies accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The use of digital technologies poses multiple challenges regarding quality in education. The Special Rapporteur would like to outline some critical concerns in need of a policy response.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 49
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- One of the main challenges for higher education today is how it can respond to the massive global demand for professional qualifications while maintaining its key role in research. This must be seen in the context of the online provision of education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 50
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- There is no real or conclusive evidence that online learning leads to better learning outcomes for students.A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that over the past 10 years there has been no appreciable improvement in student achievement in reading, mathematics or science in countries that have invested heavily in information and communications technologies for education. These findings must worry policymakers and Governments that hope to find salvation in expensive technological purchases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Serious questions are being raised regarding the quality of education provided through online courses, particularly massive open online courses. Most participating students already have a university degree, raising the question of whether such programmes are increasing access or equity in education. A 2013 survey found that as few as 7.5 per cent of students were completing courses. The quality of massive open online courses, which essentially involve self-study and lack the structure of other online courses, is particularly worrying. Teaching methods have been criticized as outdated because most of these courses still rely on information transmission, computer-marked assignments and peer assessment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The emerging trend of giving qualifications through massive open online courses for distance learning is concerning, as many of the usual modalities of university instruction and assessment are lacking. Often, students enrolled in massive open online courses are not assessed, or are inadequately assessed, and are not given certificates. Although institutions have started to award credits for massive open online courses and novel forms of certifications such as badges are being introduced, these are still seen as an inferior form of educational outcome and an inadequate indication of the quality of learning. Such criticisms may be more relevant to universities in the global North.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- A large number of private providers specialize in areas such as management, marketing, accountancy and communication and award diplomas and degrees that are devoid of equivalence or validity. There is also a risk of fraud associated with the awarding of online degrees. Online or distance education providers often operate from locations with no controls at all, and offer their own degrees, free from regulation. Public authorities must find ways of preventing underqualified or fraudulent providers from trading as universities and from issuing worthless qualifications when the providers are based overseas and operate through the Internet.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recognizes the importance of the ongoing work of UNESCO in preparing a global convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications. He hopes that it will address the issue of fake degrees by online providers of education and that it will contain provisions as regards qualifications and certificates issued upon completion of online courses. Moreover, it is important to look into the range of issues arising from the awarding of degrees and diplomas by virtual universities, which lack face-to-face teaching and learning.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The autonomy of teachers to teach as they deem best can be hampered by technology-based education models. From scripted tablet-based learning to massive open online courses with prescribed teaching modules, the ability of teachers to select content that they feel is relevant for their local conditions and classes is being impaired.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Education should be tailored to the needs of students and the local context. It has been noted that massive open online courses reflect an overwhelmingly Western, Anglo-American method based on a particular academic experience, knowledge base and pedagogical approach. The vast majority of courses are offered in English, which by definition cannot be sensitive to the local values and cultures of all countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Academic freedom includes the right to teach without any interference, including the right to choose the content and methods of teaching and the freedom to use or not to use any specific technique or technology.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- In the light of the rise of online and web-based learning, the Special Rapporteur considers it important to recognize the limits of the pedagogical value of technology-based and distance education, putting a premium on face-to-face learning and human interactions in education. All forms of online education may help increase access to higher education, but only if they are a supplement to, and not a replacement for, proven pedagogical practices. Very high enrollment rates for massive open online courses are offset by their extremely low completion rates, which traditional face-to-face teaching does not suffer from.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The introduction of technology in the classroom does, however, have an important impact on the role of the teacher. Electronic materials should complement the existing classroom practices, as videos or online exercises supplement traditional learning. Through face-to-face interactions the teacher can more easily gauge the level of understanding and participation of learners and implement interventions to address issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The current implementation of massive open online courses seems to focus more on content dissemination and rather less on learner engagement and interaction. This concern is consistent with the recent discussion within the research community regarding the approaches needed to make massive open online courses more interactive, social and personalized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In digital classrooms, the teacher remains responsible for selecting and developing the curriculum. Guidance, attention and commitment are necessary for student-centred learning.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- There are critical questions relating to human values and the education system. For example, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed concern about the risks that access to the Internet, whether at school or at home, pose for children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The negative impact of information and communications technologies on the quality of learning, as well as on the mission of universities as the seat of learning, must be taken into consideration. Without diversified sources, massive open online courses can reinforce a monolithic education system. A greater proportion of students are reading less, referencing less and writing with less clarity and boldness. Students rely on the Internet rather than on referred course readings for research material. The popularity of Google is facilitating laziness, poor scholarship and compliant thinking. The Internet seems to be chipping away at students' capacity for concentration and contemplation. Use of the Internet and digitalization places the focus on application rather than on contemplation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Concern has been expressed regarding the negative impact of digitization, for example regarding the "reordering of education institutions in line with the logical network" and with respect to network time as a "chronic distraction".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Nicholas Carr provides profound insights into the deleterious impact of digital devices on our mind and spirit, and sheds light on how this scuttles humanist values in education: "How sad it would be, particularly when it comes to the nurturing of our children's minds, if we were to accept without question the idea that 'human elements' are outmoded and dispensable." Meditative thinking, the very essence of our humanity, might become a victim of this.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- In the Qingdao declaration, the challenge of realizing the potential of digital technologies within a humanistic framework was identified.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Full development of the human personality is the primary objective of education, as laid down in international human rights conventions. The four pillars of education - learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be - propounded by the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-First Century in its 1996 report Learning: the Treasure Within, continue to be important. Higher education is a public good and a public service, and massive open online courses should not be used to weaken public provision of education or promote the privatization and commercialization of public education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 68
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- Universities, as the moral seat of learning, must foster the common human values so much in need today, in the face of the challenges of globalization. Fostering the humanistic mission of education is of paramount importance to counter the trend towards the pursuit of material values and a merely instrumental role for education. This is critically important, as the humanistic mission of education is being vitiated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Misuse of technology can lead to cyberbullying, criminal activity and even to terrorism. Educators must prepare their students to face new risks. The need to protect children from the potentially harmful effects of online content has been underlined by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Most serious is the risk of sexual abuse or exploitation, but less serious risks include advertisements, spam, sponsorship, disclosure of personal information, and content that is aggressive, violent, hateful, biased, racist, pornographic, unwelcome and misleading. The State must take measures to protect children from online harassment, including bullying or "grooming" for sexual purposes. Finally, care must be taken to ensure children do not become involved in illegal activities, financial scams or terrorism.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 55/63, the General Assembly expressed concern that technological advancements have created new possibilities for criminal activity, in particular the criminal misuse of information technologies, and noted the value of making the general public aware of the need to prevent and combat the criminal misuse of information technologies. Education plays an important role in raising awareness on the issue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Digital education, in all its forms, relies on teaching materials, textbooks and other forms of transmitting information that are subject to copyright law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- It is important to look into intellectual property rights and the use of digital technology in education and learning, bearing in mind the 1971 Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the 1994 World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the 1951 UNESCO Universal Copyright Convention, among other international treaties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is concerned, however, that exceptions to copyright law exist that allow for the free use of materials in education. Digitizing content does not change the intellectual property rights of the owners of the original materials, which must be respected and maintained.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Currently, most massive open online course providers establish a proprietary claim on material included in their courses, license the access and use of that material to the user and exercise ownership over user-generated content. To fully exercise academic freedom, however, higher education teaching personnel should retain ownership of their course material, including material used in distance and online courses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In the digital marketplace, publication becomes an ongoing process rather than a discrete event, and revision can go on indefinitely. Higher education teaching personnel should retain intellectual property rights over course material, no matter the mode of delivery.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The private interest of the copyright holder must be respectful of the broader social interest of the public. The public importance of education outweighs the value of allowing copyright holders to seek a profit. This principle is reflected in a number of exemptions to copyright law. The 1971 Appendix to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works sets out special provisions for developing countries that include challenging procedural requirements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- There is no human right to seek a profit, and the public interest in respecting the right to education must take priority in public policies, nationally and internationally. States should update their copyright treaties and legislation to allow all public educational institutions to have free access to all information used for educational purposes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- Proprietary standards from private companies are being promoted worldwide as a simple panacea to meet the information and communications technology objectives of Governments. Yet, such solutions create multiple levels of risk. States must take particular care when implementing information and communications technology programmes in education so as to recognize the risks that emerge from selecting proprietary providers of hardware, software and education materials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 79
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- Persons with disabilities, particularly those who cannot make use of print media, are denied access to information and cultural life when copyright laws prevent them from converting media to other formats. The use of Braille printers, text readers or digitalization aides to convert print media into accessible formats amounts to illegal copying, unless exceptions are created in national laws. While exceptions have been created by some countries, a general exception allowing texts to be converted for the purposes of accessibility should be made a general principle of copyright law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The Accessible Books Consortium (a multi-stakeholder partnership comprising the World Intellectual Property Organization, organizations that serve people with print disabilities and organizations representing publishers and authors) is converting books into formats to make them available to people who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise print disabled. Such partnerships should be encouraged to ensure human rights in education are met.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Rights of the Child has called upon States to establish copyright exceptions that benefit children with visual or other impairments, reinforcing the obligation set out in article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for States to ensure that laws protecting intellectual property rights do not constitute an unreasonable or discriminatory barrier to access by persons with disabilities to cultural materials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
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Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur urges States to ratify and implement the 2013 Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, which calls for the creation of copyright exceptions in national legislation to ensure the accessibility of published works, in any media, for blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Issues and challenges to the right to education in the digital age 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Copyright law reserves all rights to the author or owner and requires either legislative or licensed exceptions to be set out in an agreement. On the other hand, open licensing allows authors to publish their work for anyone to share and use, while still allowing them to reserve more rights if they choose.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
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