Education as a Human Right: Principles for a Universal Entitlement to Learning

Abstract

Human rights are those fundamental rights of individuals that by virtue of the fact of being human are inalienable or cannot be withdrawn from them by anybody including the states. These are highly rousing and practical, embodying the hopes and ideals of most human beings and also empowering people to achieve them. A person’s right to education shares those inspirational and practical aspects. It sets standards but also produces change. Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Normative instruments of the United Nations and UNESCO lay down international legal obligations for the right to education. These
instruments promote and develop the right of every person to benefit from access to quality education, without discrimination or segregation. These  instruments bear witness to the great importance that Member States and the international community attach to normative action for realising the right to education. It is for governments to fulfill their obligations both legal and political in regard to providing quality education for all and to implement and monitor educational strategies more effectively.