The Right To Education

Abstract

Chapter 14 critically analyses the idea of education as a universal human right. It outlines existing international human rights mechanisms relevant to education as a right and critically assesses their ability to make that right a reality in a diverse world with different levels of ‘peace’, stability, conflict, cultural and socio-economic contexts. While recognising that the right to education includes all people regardless of age, the chapter mainly focuses on education as a right for children and, in particular, how the right to education for children in developing countries can be affected by violent conflict. In this regard, the work of UNESCO and the influence of Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are assessed along with a range of other rights mechanisms.