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Monitoring The UN > The UN and Children's Rights Education In the words of Oxfam International,
the world is currently experiencing a "global education crisis." Education,
so important to personal development and the development of entire nations,
is not available to millions of children around the world. Among children
aged six to eleven, 73 million girls and 57 million boys do not attend
primary school. The number of children not attending school increases
when the age group considered is expanded to encompass all children
(anyone under 18 years of age). Roughly two-thirds of these children
are girls. Reasons for Education: The right to education has been
proclaimed in numerous UN conferences and declarations and has always
been viewed as a fundamental right for the successful development of
children. There are many different reasons why education is so important.
Some of the benefits of education are extremely visible, while others
are less obvious; some of the benefits are immediate, while others can
take 20 years to have an impact on a society. One of the most important roles of education, particularly in regions
where long-term conflict has existed, involves conveying ethical guidelines
and values to children. When a child grows up surrounded by conflict,
teachers can be vital in helping that child to understand the importance
and the benefits of non-violent conflict resolution and dialogue. Education
"can instill community values, promote justice and respect for human
rights and enhance peace, stability, and interdependence." United Nations
International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
encourages the use of education to "promote a culture of peace and reconciliation,"
as was done in Burundi (the 1994 "Let's Build Peace" Programme) and
in Rwanda (the creation of "Solidarity Camps"). Education programmes
based on teaching negotiation, mediation, communication, and respect
for human rights have already been instituted in many countries, such
as Lebanon, Liberia, and Sri Lanka. Education is also important in the effort to uphold the rights of
children to nutritious food and clean water. Children can learn what
to eat to stay healthy, and parents and communities can learn how to
provide for children. [(For more on nutrition and education, click here
' Health.Nutrition.Education)]
A third benefit of education is the eventual development of self-supporting
adults. Providing basic education to individuals when they are young
can have a significant impact on those individuals and their societies
when they become adults. Educated children may potentially become teachers
in future years; educating one child today can provide an education
for hundreds of children ten years from now. Obstacles to Education: As with many other situations
involving children's rights, education suffers most in areas of conflict.
In less-developed regions, schools may be the only permanent buildings.
As a result, they may be commandeered by military forces occupying the
area or targeted by opponents. Estimates indicate that in East Timor's
1999 conflict, approximately "95 percent of schools and other [educational
facilities] were destroyed." UNICEF
estimates that "no more than 45 percent of schools [in Iraq] have even
the basic infrastructure needed for teaching to take place." Despite
the damage done to education when facilities are destroyed, the impact
of conflict on human resources can be even more devastating for an education
system: in Rwanda in 1994, "over two-thirds of the teachers were either
killed or fled the country." Methods of Sustaining Education: Despite the many obstacles
that stand between children and education in regions of conflict, the
United Nations (UN) (particularly
UNICEF and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)) has developed several
methods to promote education that is sustainable even in times of conflict.
One method used in refugee camps in Albania and Macedonia during the
1999 conflict in Kosovo involved declaring certain areas (mostly schools)
as "child-friendly spaces" or "zones of peace." UNICEF also supports
educational systems by providing necessary resources, such as education
kits (Angola 1997, Rwanda 1995). One of the largest obstacles to maintaining
a stable educational system during times of conflict is finding a permanent
location that all children can safely access. To circumvent this problem,
UNICEF has used two main strategies. "Distance learning" makes use of
pre-packaged school supplies to help children learn at home; this is
particularly useful for girls, for whom it is often more dangerous to
travel away from home. "Distance learning" is often complemented by
using "broadcast and recorded media" to allow students and teachers
to communicate. Another important innovation by UNESCO and UNICEF was
the creation of "school-in-a-box," a portable kit for teachers that
allows them to teach outside a formal school environment. The "Teacher's
Emergency Packs" (TEP) were first used in Somalia in 1992, and were
refined before being used several years later to help Rwandan refugee
children "attend primary school in tents on a shift basis." The Role of Domestic and Local Players: While it is true that international
humanitarian organizations do play an important part in facilitating
education around the world, it is important not to underestimate the
importance of local and domestic players. Domestic governments and non-governmental
organizations have been proven to be fundamental to the goal of education
in countries around the world (Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, and
Liberia to name a few.) (For more on the role of domestic players in
education, click here.) Conclusion: Education is undeniably important in developing
and developed regions of the world. Providing basic and advanced education
to children can have immediate and long-term benefits for individuals
and for entire societies. To date, international organizations and local
or domestic organizations have worked together successfully in a variety
of countries around the world with the goal of achieving universal education.
(For more on universal education, click to access the UNICEF
and UNESCO sites about the
Education For All campaign.) Education is a fundamental human right
that is enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention
on the Rights of the Child and has been reaffirmed in international
meetings such as the 1990 World
Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, the UN
Millennium Assembly, the 2000
World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, and the 2002
UN Special Session on Children. Oxfam International: Campaigns, Education Now: http://www.oxfam.org/what_does/advocacy/educ_now.htm
Basic Facts About the United Nations (New York: United Nations, 2000)
181. Oxfam International: Campaigns, Education Now: http://www.oxfam.org/what_does/advocacy/educ_now.htm
UN Website: Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Impact of Armed
Conflict on Child Development, Education: Investing in the Future of
Children: http://www.un.org/rights/impact.htm#education
Government of Canada's War-Affected Children Website: Education and
Conflict: http://www.waraffectedchildren.gc.ca/eduandcon-e.asp
UN Website: Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Impact of Armed
Conflict on Child Development, Education: Investing in the Future of
Children: http://www.un.org/rights/impact.htm#education
UNICEF Website: Sexual Exploitation, How UNICEF is working to curb
the sexual exploitation of children: http://www.unicef.org/sexual-exploitation/
Government of Canada's War-Affected Children Website: Education and
Conflict: http://www.waraffectedchildren.gc.ca/eduandcon-e.asp
Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. UN Website: Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Impact of Armed Conflict on Child Development, Education: Investing in the Future of Children: http://www.un.org/rights/impact.htm#education Ibid. |
