The right to education

Every child has the right to basic education. Overall responsibility of guaranteeing this right is shared between different persons and institutions. It is the responsibility of the state to provide the facilities, parents to send their children to school, teachers to impart learning and employers not to employ children in a way that conflicts with their education.

Education is often seen as a privilege. It is not. It is one of many human rights that poor people are denied every day. We work to help poor people claim their right to education by:

• campaigning for free, compulsory and quality education in Bangladesh and Peru
• educating parents on the importance of education in Kenya
• helping students lobby their district education officer in Nepal
• campaigning for free access to primary education in Burundi
• encouraging community involvement in education in Ethiopia
• lobbying at all levels to bring about national policy change in Pakistan
• campaigning for equal opportunities for boys and girls in Haiti
• involving communities in education decision-making and enhancing the legitimisation of parent teacher associations in the national education system in The Gambia
• running awareness camps and cultural programmes on children's rights in India
• mobilising local groups to campaign against negative culture practices that hinder children from getting an education in Uganda
• increasing awareness of and respect for children's rights in Guatemala

Various ActionAid national offices are also involved in sub-regional, regional and international campaigning for education for all.

photo : ©Stuart Freedman/ Network/ ActionAid