Research evidence from around the world echoes that learning first in one's mother language leads to better outcomes in the future – for individuals, cultures, and nations. This indicator assesses the percentage of children who are taught in their mother tongue at a given level of education.

A multiethnic, multicultural, and linguistically representative teaching workforce is desirable to ensure equal and quality inclusive education for children belonging to diverse origins. In order to ensure equal access and quality outcomes for children of minority, multi-ethnic, migrant, indigenous or different home-language backgrounds, recruitment policies and strategies include employment of teachers from diverse origins.

All teachers and other education support personnel have the right to decent work according to internationally recognised standards.

Research evidence from around the world echoes that learning first in one's mother language leads to better outcomes in the future – for individuals, cultures, and nations. This indicator examines whether provisions in the national laws or policies exist to ensure equal access to education for children belonging to migrants, refugees, asylum seekers or any non-citizens, including provisions for the necessary equipment and support they need to access the learning and learning materials in their mother tongue.

Some countries have adopted special legal provisions to guarantee migrant children the right to education, regardless of the legal status of the children or parents. However, some countries adopt differential education policies for citizens and non-citizens. This indicator examines if legal provisions in the national laws or an inclusive policy framework exist to ensure equal access to education for children belonging to migrants, refugees, asylum seekers or any non-citizens. 

This indicator assesses whether the State has adopted laws and/or policies that guarantee the right to education of students  from rural and remote areas, including the provision of the necessary equipment and support for them to attend school, including ECCE centres/pre-primary schools.

This indicator assesses whether the State has adopted laws and/or policies to guarantee the right to education of girls and women, including the provision of the necessary equipment and support to enable female students to attend school, including ECCE centres, without any discrimination.     

The right to equality and non-discrimination are core human rights and the basis for ensuring the right to education for all. The international human rights legal framework contains international instruments to combat specific forms of discrimination.

The States have the obligation to make primary education compulsory. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (General Comment No. 36 (paras. 36, 39) recommends that education should be free and compulsory from pre-school to secondary.

Ensuring free education in national legislation and aligning legal frameworks with the legal requirements of the right to education and the commitments to Sustainable Developmental Goal 4 is one of the most important challenges towards the full realisation of the right to education. States have the obligation to make primary education free and compulsory. While free primary education shall be immediately realised, the other levels of education can be made progressively free.