On 5th October, 1966, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNESCO adopted the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. While not legally binding, the Recommendation provides a basis for the development of national policies and practices concerning teachers.
The world was shocked by the kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls and attacks on schools in the state of Borno in the Northern part of Nigeria by fighters from the Boko Haram armed group. It became very clear from a video message sent by one of the leaders of this extremist Islamic group that they are of the view that girls should marry at an early age, remain at home and work like slaves.
In a Chamber judgment adopted on 16 September 2014 in the case of Mansur Yalçın and Others v. Turkey (application no. 21163/11), the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 (right to education) to the European Convention on Human Rights with regard to Mansur Yalçın, Yüksel Polat and Hasan Kılıç.
On Wednesday 24th September the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) published its written recommendations on Morocco. The Committee made statements on the pace and lack of regulation of privatisation of education and recommended the government of Morocco take immediate action to assess and address the consequences of the rapid development of private education actors.
An online database containing 195 profiles on the legal status of education in countries around the world has just been launched by UNESCO.
The Right to Education Global Database is a unique portal designed to be a practical tool for monitoring, research and advocacy. It already hosts a library of over 1,000 official documents, including constitutions, legislations and policies on education from nations across the globe.
It is the morning of Wednesday 3rd September, at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights headquarters in Geneva. The die is cast; in a few minutes we will know. My Moroccan colleague, who represents the Moroccan Coalition on Education for All, and myself, representing the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) are waiting anxiously. Will they ask the question? What will the government respond? The moment comes.
The South African Human Rights Commission has released a report on an investigation it conducted on scholar transport and found that the Eastern Cape Education and Transport Departments violated pupils' right to basic education by failing to provide them with transport to school.
The Commission found that physical accessibility of schools is an integral part of the right to education and the failure to provide subsidised transportation is also counter to the best interests of the child.
Right to Education Project's key partner, Global Campaign for Education, have released a statement on the recent attacks on schools in Gaza and the impact these attacks have on children. It reads:
Israel’s current attack on Gaza has seen nine children killed every day in Gaza. In the period 21-22 July alone, the rate of child deaths has escalated to one child killed per hour.