21. The right to education and human rights education

Abstract

This chapter discusses the right to education and human rights education in international human rights law. It covers access to education, the nature of education, academic freedom, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education, achieving universal education on human rights, teaching non-discrimination, and the United Nations Decades of Human Rights Education. Education is identified as a key to unlocking development opportunities, breaking the cycle of poverty, and promoting empowerment and equality. For human rights education, obviously it is difficult for rights holders to claim their rights if they do not know what they are. Ensuring human rights education empowers rights holders and, indeed, can build capacity of duty bearers.