UNESCO marks 60th anniversary of the Convention against Discrimination in Education

UNESCO has published three thematic documents that explore the right to education of people with disabilities, of indigenous people and of refugees.

The 60th anniversary of the Convention against Discrimination in Education is a reminder that vulnerable groups continue to suffer persistent discrimination, which has grave effects on the realization of their right to education. UNESCO has published three thematic documents that explore the right to education of people with disabilities, of indigenous people, and of refugees.

The right to education for persons with disabilities: Persons with disabilities are often excluded from the education system, whether out-of-school entirely, educated in separate institutions, or participating in a mainstream system that is not adapted to their needs and abilities. As part of its mandate, UNESCO monitors the implementation of the 1960 Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education. This publication presents the measures reported by the Member States on the implementation of these instruments in relation to the right to education for persons with disabilities, as part of the Ninth Consultation, for information sharing and advocacy.

Indigenous peoples’ right to education: Among the many inequalities that indigenous peoples face, the lack of access to quality education is particularly blatant. The 2030 Agenda commitment to ‘leave no one behind’, brings new impetus to ensure that indigenous peoples’ priorities are heard. During the Ninth Consultation on the implementation of the 1960 Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education, several Member States reported upon measures they have taken in relation to the right to education for indigenous peoples. This document compiles practical examples extracted from these reports for information sharing and advocacy.

Enforcing the right to education of refugees: a policy perspective: The Education Sector of UNESCO produced a working paper in 2017 to provide an overview of the international legal framework protecting refugees worldwide, including the obligations of States, and some of the main issues at stake. This policy paper has been developed as a follow up to the previous working paper and aims to provide analysis and insights as to how the right to education for refugees could be enforced in national education systems. It presents a set of basic policy recommendations that are intended to offer guidance to the Member States for the fulfillment of refugees’ right to education, responding to the ambition of inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030.