Right to learn in the digital age: Challenges and protection in China

Abstract

The right to learn is a fundamental human right that can be summarized as a personal entitlement to acquire knowledge, increase one's wisdom, and fully develop inherent capacity through various learning approaches and activities. With the advent of the information age, the notion of right to education is unable to meet the needs of the development of human beings and society. Thus, introducing a concept with a rich connotation, namely, the right to learn is necessary. However, this right has not been stipulated and protected by constitutional law in most countries. The development of digital technology and artificial intelligence not only brings great opportunities for its realization, but also poses challenges to this right. In China, the economic and digital gap has led to the unequal and uneven development of the right to learn, while the rigid internet review system and expectations of digital copyright protection have hindered this right. To address these challenges in the information era, the government should address the right to learn as a fundamental right and establish a protection system in China's education law. Moreover, it should improve the fair use of the copyright system and strike a balance between the right to learn and copyright. In addition, emerging management rights and the equitable distribution of e-learning resources and digital infrastructure are essential to the right to learn.