Education is a basic human right for all and is important for everyone to make the most of their lives. Other human rights include the right to freedom from slavery or torture and to a fair trial.
Having an education helps people to access all of their other human rights. Education improves an individual’s chances in life and helps to tackle poverty.
According to the the most recent figures available from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in July 2016, 263 million children and youth are out of school.
This includes 61 million children who should be in primary school, 60 million of lower secondary school age (ages 12 to 14) and 142 million who are aged between 15 and 17.
Girls and children from sub-Saharan Africa are most likely to be missing out on their education.
Armed conflict also means that children struggle to get an education – 22 million children of primary school age are affected by this. 75 million children and adolescents have had their education directly affected by conflict and emergencies.
Education reduces poverty, decreases social inequalities, empowers women and helps each individual reach their full potential.
It also brings significant economic returns for a country and helps societies to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development. Education is key to achieving all other human rights.
Every person is entitled to a quality education without discrimination, which means:
It also means parents have the right to choose schools for their children and for individuals and organisations to set up schools that meet minimum standards.
Theirworld also believes that every child should have access to two years of free, quality pre-primary education.
Governments must provide good quality education and make sure all children can access it, without discrimination.
This is an international legal obligation and governments can be held accountable for failing to provide education for all its citizens.
Education has been recorded as a basic human right in international law since 1948. It is included in many documents and treaties including:
Governments must guarantee that education in their country or state is:
Governments have to make sure all children can get the education they are entitled to by doing the following:
The international community knows that achieving the full extent of the right to education will take time and resources.
Governments must put plans in place to meet the minimum standard of free, compulsory primary education and then take steps to extend the right to education to every child.
The right to education without discrimination is part of the minimum standard and must be created immediately.
It’s very important that governments continue to work towards the full right to education and don’t allow plans to stall or be delayed.
As well as governments, other organisations and individuals play a part in making sure that all children can access quality education. These include intergovernmental agencies such as UNESCO, international financial institutions, businesses, civil societies and parents.
Explainer
This page is about learning through play and why it is important in preparing a child for education and in health brain development - and how, without it, negative effects can stretch into adulthood.
