Is education a human right?

(image: Girls at Ibrahim Fanaan school in Bus village – Somaliland)

No matter who you are or where you live, you have a fundamental human right to education. It’s protected in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Every young boy and girl is entitled to full and complete access to quality education. But many of the world’s poorest children continue to be denied this basic human right.

Ensuring that all girls and young women receive a quality education is their human right, a global development priority, and a strategic priority for the Hiil-San international Rural development.