14 March 2018
On 8 March 2018, to coincide with International Women’s Day, the Unesco GEM Report team held the worldwide launch of their 2018 Gender Review.The main finding of the report is that only 44% of states have made a full, legal commitment, via international treaties, to achieving gender equality in education. The report also analyses the slow progress towards gender parity in education and how this... Read more
1 March 2018
In an open letter published today, 88 civil society organisations have urged investors to cease their support for the multi-national, for-profit chain of private schools Bridge International Academies (BIA), which runs over 500 schools in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and India.These organisations are calling investors’ attention to a series of concerning practices by BIA and the associated... Read more
27 February 2018
The Right to Education Initiative will participate at the 62nd Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education (CIES) that will take place in Mexico City from March 25-29.On Wednesday, March 28 (5:00 to 6:30pm UTC-06:00), Delphine Dorsi, RTE’s executive coordinator, will chair a panel titled ‘Privatisation of Education in Francophone Countries: A Separate Case?’ The panel will... Read more
27 February 2018
On 6 October, 2017 Myanmar became the 165th State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).By ratifying ICESCR, Myanmar has legally committed to implementing and making the right to education for all a reality (Articles 13 and 14). ICESCR also contains a provision requiring states to guarantee economic and social rights without distinction as to race,... Read more
27 February 2018
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (Protocol) an instrument of the African Union, was adopted at the 30th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, held in Addis Ababa on 30 January 2018. This historic protocol, which has been in development since 1999, focuses specifically on promoting and upholding the... Read more
7 February 2018
Joint statement - 7 February 2018(Kampala, Nairobi, Dakar) Following the decision by the Government of Uganda to close Bridge International Academies in the country, after 18 months of investigation and court battles, civil society organisations are calling on the US-based company to comply with the government's decision and stop undermining the right to education.In a press release dated 6... Read more
31 January 2018
Together with the Missions of Finland, France, and Portugal, NORRAG, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Amnesty International, the Equal Education Law Centre, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Initiative for Economic and Social Rights, and the Right to Education Initiative, we invite you to join a consultation on Human rights... Read more
6 December 2017
In a recent high profile decision, a high court in South Africa ruled that the corporal punishment of children on the grounds of ‘reasonable chastisement’ is unconstitutional. Around the world, lawmakers are proposing the removal of exceptions in law that protect parents from being prosecuted for assault when administering corporal punishment. For example, the Welsh Assembly has promised a new... Read more
30 November 2017
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which oversees states’ efforts to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the foremost treaty guaranteeing the human rights of women around the world, has published its interpretation of Article 10 of CEDAW which guarantees the right to education. General Recommendation 36... Read more
21 November 2017
In a milestone inquiry report released today, Members of Parliament have raised serious questions about the UK government’s funding of the American chain of schools, Bridge International Academies (Bridge), due to concerns regarding the 'poor' quality of teaching, relationships with governments, 'alleged lack of compliance with government regulations', and the 'higher cost of fees'. The findings... Read more