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Right to Education |
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The United Nations recognizes the right to education as a human right and the right to education is understood to establish an entitlement to free, compulsory primary education for all children, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all children, as well as equitable access to higher education, and a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education.
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The right to education has also been reaffirmed in the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, and the 1981 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
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In addition to these accesses to education provisions the right to education encompasses also the obligation to eliminate discrimination at all levels of the educational system, to set minimum standards and to improve quality. The right to education is enshrined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 14 of the Rights.
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Fulfilling the Right to Education
The fulfilment of the right to education can be assessed using the 4 as framework, which asserts that for education to be a meaningful right it must be available, acceptable, accessible and adaptable. The 4 As framework proposes that governments has to respect, protect and fulfill the right to education by making education available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. The framework also places duties on other stakeholders in the education process: the child, as the privileged subject of the right to education has the duty to comply with compulsory requirements, the parents as the 'first educators', and professional educators, namely teachers.
The 4 as have been further elaborated as follows:
- Availability - Education is free and government-funded and there is adequate infrastructure and well trained and experienced teachers able to support education delivery.
- Accessibility - The system is non-discriminatory and accessible to all, and positive steps are taken to include the most marginalized.
- Acceptability - The content of education is relevant, non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate, and of quality. The school itself is safe and teachers are well trained and professional.
- Adaptability - Education can evolve with the changing needs of society and contribute to challenging inequalities, such as gender discrimination, and can be adapted locally to suit specific contexts.
Development of the Right to the Education
Education is a human right and an essential tool for achieving the goals of equality, development and peace. Every person has the right to do an education directed to the full development of the human personality. All this are right steps to lay the foundation for the development of a common public school system that can offer quality education to all the children.
Development of the right to education is very important for every individual, whether employed or not. It is very important for children increase the knowledge and skills. They must strive to enhance the quality of performance, to ensure an improvement on the personal and professional front. Education development is essential to increase knowledge and skill, through certified and consistent education in the profession. A professional development program boosts the individual's career, through travel, research, workshops and seminars and by working with professionals who are highly qualified and experienced. People take up an education development course to build their expertise in business, teaching and nursing and contribute to organizational development.
Implementation
International law does not provide the protection the right to pre-primary education and generally, international documents omit references to education at this level. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "everybody" has the right to education, hence the right accures to all individuals, although children are understood as the main beneficiaries. The rights to education are separated into three levels:
- Primary (Elemental or Fundamental) Education. This shall be necessary and free for any child regardless of their nationality, gender, place of birth, or any other discrimination.
- Secondary Education should be usually available and accessible.
- Higher Education should be provided according to capacity.
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