A Growing Global Push for Free Education for Every Child
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Students in a pre-primary school classroom in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2021.
© 2021 Bede Sheppard / Human Rights Watch The global push to make free education accessible for every child gained momentum, as 81 states met at the United Nations in Geneva on August 31 to September 2 to discuss a proposed treaty that could strengthen children’s right to education and remove financial barriers that keep many out of school. The new optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child would recognize early childhood care and education as part of the right to education, guarantee at least one year of free public pre-primary education, and strengthen the promise of free public secondary education. The initiative has been led by Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, and Bulgaria, which already provide free education for their children from pre-primary through secondary. During the three-day meeting, Guatemala became the 62nd country to publicly support the initiative. However, there were differences about next steps: Some states including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Peru, South Africa, and Uruguay supported moving forward to draft the treaty while others, including Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Egypt, and Slovenia, called for more time to consider different options. Children played a central role at the meeting. Child delegates from all five regions shared recommendations based on consultations with more than 80 children worldwide. Tuition-free education is not genuinely free if families still need to pay for transport, uniforms, school materials, and other essential costs, the delegates said. Free pre-primary education gives children a stronger start and children from disadvantaged families a fairer chance to succeed. Free secondary education can change the course of a child’s life by reducing the likelihood of child marriage and opening doors to further education and decent work. For children with disabilities, removing financial and practical barriers can enable them to participate fully and learn alongside their peers. Further consultations will take place before the next formal meeting in October 2027. The Sierra Leone chair called for continued review of the proposals for the treaty and expert advice, while stressing that children should continue to have a meaningful, safe, and inclusive role in the next stages. The momentum now needs to become action. Governments should move this process forward so that millions of children are not left waiting for the education to which they are entitled.
Human Rights Watch•Human Rights Watch9 Sept
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