Educat i on Ri ght s: A gui de f orpr act i t i oner s and act i vi st s2 Acknowl edgement sT h is g u id ewa s p ro d u c e db y A c tio n A idfo r th eG lo b a l C a m p a ig nfo r E d u c a tio n .Writte na n dc o m p ile db y Kate Newman b a se do nid e a s a n dc o n trib u tio n s fro mara n g eo f e d u c a tio np ra c titio n e rs a n da c tivists fro ma ro u n dth ewo rld .M o st im p o rta n t tom e n tio na reth ep e o p lea n do rg a n isa tio n s g h tin gfo r th erig h t toe d u c a tio na tlo c a l a n dn a tio n a l le ve ls,wh o see x p e rie n c e s a n din n o va tio n s p ro vid eth eb a sis o f th is g u id e ,a n dwh o sec o n tin u e dstru g g leis a nin sp ira tio ntou s a ll.I na d d itio n ,sp e c ia l th a n k s g o e s to :Simeon Ogbonna wh oc o lle c te dm a n y o f th ee x a m p le s fro mp ra c tic eu se dinth eg u id e ;Ben Spier fo r re se a rc h in ga n dd o c u m e n tin gva rio u sa sp e c ts o f th ele g a l a n dc o n stitu tio n a l rig h t toe d u c a tio n ;ActionAid B an g la d e sh , E th io p ia , T h eG a m b ia , G h a n a,G u a te m a la ,I n d ia ,K e n ya ,M a la wi,M o za m b iq u e ,N e p al, N ig eria , P a kista n , S ri L a n k a,Vie tn a m , U g a n d afo r d o c u m e n tin gth e ir o wna n do th e r e d u c a tio na c tivists e x p e rie n c e s a t lo c a l a n dn a tio n a l le ve ls,a n dfo r c o m m e n tin go nd ra fts o f th ep a c k ;T h eInternational Education Team of ActionAid,fo r su p p o rtin gth ep a c k ,d e sig n in gth estru c tu re ,su g g e stin ge x a m p le s a n dm a te ria ls a n dc o m m e n tin go nd ra ft ve rsio n s; T h ese c re ta ria t o f th eGlobal Campaign forEducation,a n dDuncan Wilson a t A m n e styI n te rn a tio n a l fo r va lu a b lesu p p o rt a n da d vic e ;Emma Pearce fo r p ro o f re a d in ga n de d itin g ;Sandra Clarke fo r th ed e sig na n dla yo u t.This guide is dedicated to the late KatarinaTomasevski, former UN special rapporteur onthe right to education. Katarina gaveinvaluable advice for the rst section of theguide, she was, and continues to be, aninspiration to education rights activists aroundthe world.3 Cont ent sA c k n o wle d g e m e n ts 2I n tro d u c tio n 5I Some background to the pack( fro mse rvic ed e live ry torig h ts a n dh u m a nrig h ts a p p ro a c h e s)I The pack itselfwh a t is it a n dwh ois it fo r? )Sect i on 1 U n d e rsta n d in ga n dS e c u rin gth eR ig h t toE d u c a tio n 1 7I Grounding the right to education locally( in tro d u c in gth erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,m a k in git m e a n in g fu l,d o c u m e n tin grig h ts a b u se s,lo c a l c a m p a ig n in g ,a n a lysin gn o n -p u b licsc h o o ls)I Working at the national level( u n d e rsta n d in gth erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,m o b ilisin gfo r c o n stitu tio n a l a m e n d m e n tso r n e w le g isla tio n , p u rsu in gth ele g a l o p tio n )Sect i on 2 Wo rk in gwithe x c lu d e dg ro u p s 5 7I Strategies for action ( wo rk in gwithth ee x c lu d e dg ro u pa n do th e r k e y e d u c a tio nsta k e h o ld e rs)I Working with specic excluded groups( G irls,d isa b le dc h ild re n ,P a sto ra lists,m in o rity g ro u p s,stre e t c h ild re n ,c h ildla b o u re rs,c h ild re na ffe c te db y H I V,A I D Sa n dc o n ic t,c h ild re nwith o u t c itize n sh ip )Sect i on 3 F in a n c in gE d u c a tio n 9 3I Understanding budgets ( th eb u d g e t c yc le )I Working at the local level:th esc h o o lb u d g e t ( b u d g e t a n a lysis,tra c k in ga n din u e n c in g )I Work at the national level ( b u d g e t a n a lysis,tra c k in ga n din u e n c in g ,a n dwo rk in gwithsta tistic s)I Work at the international level( u n d e rsta n d in gth ein u e n c eo f th eI M F )Afu ll c o n te n ts is a va ila b lea t th esta rt o f e a c hse c tio nSect i on 4 C itize nP a rtic ip a tio ninE d u c a tio n 1 3 1I Working at the local level ( sc h o o lm a n a g e m e n t c o m m itte e s,wo rk in gwithc h ild re n ,wo rk in gwitho th e r lo c a l g ro u p s)I Working at the district levelI Working at the national levele d u c a tio nc o a litio n s,lo b b yin g ,a wa re n e ss ra isin ga n din u e n c in g ,wo rk in gwithte a c h e rsu n io n s a n dso c ia l m o ve m e n ts)I Linking regionally and internationallySect i on 5 R ig h ts inE d u c a tio n 1 6 9I Statistics and indicators of qualityeducation ( wh a t is q u a lity e d u c a tio n ,h o wtoc o lle c t,a n a lyse ,c o m p ilea n du sed a ta )I Putting rights in education into practice( H I V a n dE d u c a tio n ,vio le n c ea g a in st g irlsinsc h o o l,e n g a g in gwithth ec u rric u lu m ,H u m a nR ig h ts e d u c a tio na n dte a c h e rsrig h ts)Sect i on 6 A d va n c in gafu ll E d u c a tio nfo r A llA g e n d a 2 1 3I Early childhood care and education( m a p p in g ,p ro vid in ga n dd o c u m e n tin gE C C E ,c a m p a ig n in gfo r E C C E )I Secondary educationa n a lysin ga n dc a m p a ig n in gfo r se c o n d a ry e d u c a tio n )I Adult LiteracyU sin gth ea d u lt lite ra c yb e n c h m a rk s,R e e c t,lite ra c y a n de d u c a tio nrig h ts)AnnexU se fu l re so u rc e s a n dwe b site s 2 5 14 Abbrevi at i onsA I D S Acquired Immunodeciency SyndromeA N C E F A African Network Campaign on Education for AllA S P B A E Asian South Pacic Bureau of Adult EducationC B O community-based organisationC E E A L Latin American Council for Adult EducationC E F Commonwealth Education FundC E D A W Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against WomenC I R A C International Reect CircleC S E N children with special educational needsC S O civil society organisationD E O district education ofceE C C E early childhood care and educationE F A Education for AllF o u r A s Accessibility, acceptability, adaptability, availabilityF T I Fast Tract InitiativeG A T S General Agreement on Trade in ServicesG C E Global Campaign for EducationG D P gross domestic productG WA Global Week of ActionH I V Human Immunodeciency VirusI C E S C R International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsI C E R D International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial DiscriminationI C C P R International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsI C T information and communication technologiesI M F International Monetary FundI N E E Inter-Agency Network for Education in EmergenciesI L O International Labour OrganisationM D G s Millennium Development GoalsN F E non-formal educationN G O non-government organisationO VC orphans and vulnerable childrenP R A participatory rural appraisalP R G F Poverty Reduction and Growth FacilityP S I Policy Support InstrumentP T A parent teacher associationS M C school management committeeU N United NationsU N E S C O United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural U N H C R United Nations High Commission for RefugeesU N I C E F United Nations Children s FundU P E universal primary educationVA G violence against girlsWT O World Trade OrganisationKate H olt / Eyevine / ActionAidInt roduct i on t o t he Resour ce PackC ontents5Introduction 7Some background to the pack 8From service delivery to rights 8What is a human rights-basedapproach? 9How to implement a humanrights-based approach toeducation 10From local to national and international 11The pack itself 12What is this pack? 12Who is it for? 12Engaging with the pack 13Planning and adopting ideas13from the packDocumentation 156Th is re so u rc ep a c kd ra ws o nle a rn in ga n de x p e rie n c efro mwo rkine d u c a tio nb y A c tio n A id ,o u rp a rtn e rs,a n dc o a litio n s o fwh ic hwea rep a rt,o ve r th ela st th irty ye a rs.O rig in a llyfo rm e din1 9 7 2 ,A c tio n A idn o w wo rk s in4 2c o u n trie sa ro u n dth ewo rld ,lin k in gwithawid eva rie ty o fp a rtn e rs a t lo c a l,n a tio n a la n din te rn a tio n a l le ve ls.Weh a ved ra wnto g e th e r th isp a c ktosh a reawid eva rie tyo f e x p e rie n c e s ine d u c a tio n ,h ig h lig h tin gh o w d iffe re n tin itia tive s c o n trib u tetoah u m a nrig h ts-b a se dwa y o f wo rk in g .B u ild in go nth e see x a m p le s,th ep a c kd e ve lo p s ara n g eo f id e a sa n dm e th o d o lo g ie s top u t ah u m a nrig h ts-b a se da p p ro a c htoe d u c a tio nin top ra c tic e .7A p p ro a c h e s toin te rn a tio n a l d e ve lo p m e n th a vesh ifte dc o n sid e ra b ly o ve r th ela st th irtyye a rs.Wh a t is n o w c le a re r th a ne ve r is th eim p o rta n c eo f stre n g th en in gth evo ic eso f th ep o o r a n dm a rg in a lise d , wh ilea t th esa m etim ee n g a g in gwithin te rn a tio n a l a n dn a tio n a lp o we r h o ld e rs.T h is re so u rc ep a c kre e c tsA c tio n A id s in te n tio ntowo rksim u lta n e o u slya t a ll le ve ls,ta k in gah o listica p p ro a c htotra n sfo rm in ge d u c a tio n . H o we ve r,fo c u sin go nsixstra te g ica re a s ine d u c a tio n( th erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,e x c lu d e dg ro u p s, n a n c in ge d u c a tio n ,c itize np a rtic ip a tio n ,rig h ts ine d u c a tio n ,a n de d u c a tio nfo r a ll ,th ep a c kp rio ritise s wo rka t th elo c al le ve l. T h is is b ase do no u r b e lie f th a t wo rka t th is le ve l sh o u ldb eth esta rtin gp o in t a n dsh o u ldg u id ea ll o th e rwo rk .L o c a l p e o p lek n o w th e ir o wnc o n te x t,th e ir n e e d s,a sp ira tio n s a n dre a litie s,a n dwo rka t th ed is tric t,n a tio n al a n din te rn a tio n a lle ve ls sh o u ldb u ildo n ,a n dc o m p le m e n t th is.I t is a lsod u etoth ere c o g n itio nth a tu n d e rsta n d in gah u m a n -rig h ts a p p ro a c ha tg ra ssro o ts le ve l is c o m p le xa n dn e e d sstro n gsu p p o rt.T h e rea rem a n y d if c u ltc h o ic e s tob em a d e ,a n dd iffe rin gp rio ritie sa n de x p e c ta tio n s tom a n a g e .T h e reis a nin te rn atio n al c o n se n su s a ro u n ded u c atio n .It is g e n e ra lly a g ree dth a t e d u c atio nis va lu a b le ,th a t it is ari g h t initse lf, a n dth a t itis c e n tra l inp ro m o tin go th e r rig h ts,in c lu d in gwo m e n s rig h ts a n dg e n d e r e q u a lity.Wh ileth is la c ko f c o n tro ve rsy c a nb eb e n e c ia l,itca na lsoca u sep ro b lem s.F irstly,b e c a u seitis h a rdtok e e pe d u c a tio no nth ea g e n d a ,tom a k eit h ig hp ro lea n de x c itin g .B u t a lsob e c a u s ea lth o u g hwem i g h t a ll a g re eth a te d u c a tio nis a g o o d th in g ,th e rea reawid eva rie ty o f vie ws a ro u n dissu e s su c ha s h o we d u c a tio nsh o u ldb ed e live re d ,wh a t m a k e sq u a lity e d u c a tio n ,h o w e d u c a tio nc a np ro m o tewo m e n s rig h ts,wh osh o u ldb eth ed e c isio n -m a k e rs ine d u c a tio n ,h o w m u c hfu n d in gsh o u ldb eg ive n ,wh ic hp a rts o f th ee d u c a tio nsyste mtop rio ritise ,e tc .T h isp a c ka im s tog e t p e o p leth in k in gc ritic a llya b o u t e d u c a tio nissu e s,a n dtoe n g a g eo th e rs inth e sed e b a te s,towo rkfro mth eg ra ssro o ts u p wa rd s totra n sfo rme d u c a tio nrig h ts in toare a lity.Int roduct i on 8From service delivery to rightsAlthough the idea of a rights-based approach has become common currency indevelopment theory, many struggle tounderstand what this means in practice. This, perhaps, is particularly the case forthose working at community level. Thoseinvolved in work at this level interact on adaily basis with people living in poverty,people who do not have access to education,or indeed many other services. Servicedelivery is an attractive option. It is concrete,measurable and visible; it is what we, NGOsor charities, have been doing for years; it isoften what communities expect from us; it iswhat donors fund us for; and it meets animmediate need. Because of our experienceand these expectations it can be difcult to move away from this role. However, asdevelopment theory and practice evolves, it is clear that service delivery, on its own, is not a sustainable way to tackle poverty andinjustice, and that we have a responsibility tomove away from this approach.When NGOs deliver education services,sustainability problems occur for two majorreasons. Firstly, because of the nancialcommitment involved in service delivery, acivil society organisation cannot guaranteeindenite funding and continuous serviceprovision. Secondly, because of the impactservice delivery can have on the relationshipbetween citizens and their government.Through playing a service delivery role, NGOscome to be seen as the key service providers,and this leads to an erosion of the contractbetween citizens and their government. Some backgroundt o t he packGovernments have obligations; they aremorally and legally required to ensure theentire population access their human rights,including the right to education. These dutiesare reinforced by national constitutions andinternational conventions, which are ratiedstates and are binding to all futureadministrations. By contrast, NGOs are notelected, and their accountability structuresare much more complex. Strengthening therelationship between citizens and theirgovernment is crucial for a long-term solutionto poverty.What is a human rights-baseda p p ro a c h ?Taking rights, as enshrined in the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights (1948), as itsbasis, a human rights-based approach viewspoverty as an abuse of human rights. Theserights are upheld in international law throughthe International Bill of Rights and subsequenthuman rights treaties. Human Rights are theminimum standards needed in order to live alife of dignity, they are in d ivisib le , in a lie n a b leand u n ive rsa l by denition they belong toevery human. If a national government doesnot re sp e c t, p ro te c t and fu l l human rightsfor every woman and man then it is in violationof its obligations. However, while rights maybe guaranteed by a particular state orgovernment they are yours because you arehuman, not because of your particularcitizenship. This means that while process ofsecuring of rights might differ from country tocountry the rights themselves do not change. Human rights have been developed and denedthrough many years of struggle, by differentpeople in different parts of the world.Unfortunately, due to historical, social, cultural,political and economic forces, many people,especially women, are unable to realise theirhuman rights. These rights are systematicallydenied to many, merely because of who theyare or where they live. A human rights-basedapproach confronts these rights abuses,working with people to claim their rights throughdynamic, and sometimes messy processes of9resistance and change, of engagement with andtransformation of relations of power. It may alsoenable them to dene new rights, or newcontent to existing rights, valuing their contextand perspective and recognising that rights, andrights abuses, affect people differently becauseof their gender, ethnicity, age, education etc.The approach is not only about what youachieve, but also howyou achieve it (seeoverleaf). This means putting poor andexcluded people at the centre of this process,transforming the power relations that keep poorpeople poor and recognising the centrality ofunequal gender relations in this process. Itinvolves raising people's awareness of theirhuman rights and empowering them throughbuilding their skills and condence to demandand secure these rights. However, work is also needed at other levels, working withgovernments, civil society and donors toensure that they are fullling their obligations,to transform structural inequalities and powerrelations, challenge discriminatory practiceand ensure conditions which are conducivefor all to enjoy their human rights. .Finally, a human rights-based approach alsomeans being aware of our own power andinuence, as international NGOs, nationalNGOs and other civil society activists. It meansreecting critically on our role, ensuring that weare contributing to building the relationshipbetween citizens and their government, andbetween government and international bodies,rather than creating spaces and lling themourselves. It also means being aware of thepower we have when engaging with others,whether they are community members, localorganisations or government. This power canhelp to open doors, to involve people indiscussion and action, but if we are not carefulit can also be abused. We need to constantlykeep a check on this, and work with ourpartners, be they other NGOs, socialmovements, trade unions or poor communities,to develop accountability systems to helpensure that we remain a positive force in thestruggle for the right to education for all. For more details on the right to education see S e c tio nO n e .H u m anR ig h ts areu n ive rsa l a n din a lie n a b le ,th e y b e lo n gtoe ve ryo n ean dc a n n o t b eta ke na wa y. N atio n a l G o vern m e n ts a n dth ein te rn atio n al c o m m u n ity a reo b lig e dtore sp e c t, p ro te c t a n dfu l l h u m a nrig h ts, fo ra ll wo m e na n dm e n , a n dp o ve rty is ah u m a nrig h ts vio la tio n . A h u m a nrig h ts-b a se da p p ro a chfo c u se s o na c h ie vin gth e serig h ts.It fo llo ws ap ro c e ss wh ichp u ts p o o r a n dex c lu d edp e o p lea t th ec e n tre, b u ild s th e irskills,ca p ac ity a n dc o n d e n cetod e m a n dan dse c u reth e se rig h ts, wh ilee n g a g in gwitha n dch a llen g in gg o ve rn m e n ts a n do th e r a c to rs tou p h o ldth e ir o b lig a tio n s.10How to implement a humanrights-based approach toe d u c a t i o nTaking a human rights-based approachmeans carefully planning work so that, forexample, the poorest of the poor and thosewho suffer multiple discriminations, arereached. The approach involves a broadspectrum of people, from communitymembers to grassroots activists to local,national and international NGOs, to tradeunions and other civil society actors. And itmeans working in different ways with therange of stakeholders, at different momentsin the process. Understanding thatsometimes government might be acollaborator, for example, if it is showinginterest in fullling its obligations while atother moments a key target, for example, if itis continually failing to invest in delivering therange of human rights. Based on this premise, this pack developsideas for achieving rights to, and in,education. It does this by building on thefollowing principles for work:I I d e n tifyin ga n dta rg e tin gsp e c i c rig h ts-h o ld e rs , the most poor and oppressedpeople who may suffer multiplediscriminations which impact on their abilityto access and enjoy their rights;I Recognising the c e n tra lity o f g e n d e r andpower relations and their impact on peoplesability to access education or be involved intransforming education, and thereforeprioritising work in this area;I E x p lo rin gth ero o t c a u se s of inequality andexclusion, getting to the core of why peopledo not have access to their human rights,understanding the impact of tradition, cultureand politics;I C re a tin gsp a c e s a n do rg a n isin gp e o p le intoa reection-action process and working withthem to analyse power, challenge unequalpower relations and secure human rights;I B u ild in gfro mth eg ra ssro o ts to the nationaland international, understanding that eachlevel has distinct but complementary roles to play;I L in k in gwitho th e rs , including educationcoalitions, social movements, teachersunions, the media and government asappropriate, based on the understandingthat we should be working together,complementing each others work, notcompeting with each other; or wastingresources through duplication of work;I T a k in gah o listica p p ro a c h , focusing oneducation as an entry point butrecognising that there are many issueswhich impact on peoples ability to accesseducation and that these are complex;I E x p lo rin gth ero le s o f d iffe re n t a c to rsa n dsta k e h o ld e rs , from local culturalcustodians, to national elites, to theinternational nancial institutions, all ofwhom need to be included in the strugglefor education rights;I U sin gp a rtic ip a to ry m e th o d s to activelyengage rights-holders in inuencing,designing and monitoring education policyand delivery, ensuring that complexinformation is translated and repackagedto make it more accessible at thegrassroots;I Learning from and d o c u m e n tin ge x p e rie n c e s, and sharing these with otherpractitioners so that practice cancontinually improve and evolve;I Being h o n e st a b o u t a c h ie ve m e n ts , notover claiming success, recognising thatthere are many different forces at play,and other initiatives which inuencepeoples reality. It is also important to beopen about challenges and failures, whichcan be great for learning andstrengthening practice.F rom local to national andi n t e rn a t i o n a lThis pack is focused on work at the locallevel, but locates this in relation to nationaland international policy inuencing andcampaigning. As civil society activists,working with people at the grassroots mustbe the basis of our work. This is the only wayto ensure an active and empoweredcommunity, which will demand qualityeducation from their government long afterwe have moved on. It is the only sustainableway of working. In addition, grassrootsexperience enhances the impact andlegitimacy of work at national andinternational levels. It gives the evidence fromwhich to develop policy positions and makeclaims, and ensures that work at all levels isresponding to the real needs of those living in poverty. Working across all levels requires respect fordifferent perspectives, clear roles and spacefor all to play to their strengths. It requiresrecognition of the different knowledge andskills that each person or organisation brings.It needs collaboration, not competition, and aconstant awareness of, and strategies tominimise, potential conicts and unequalpower relations. Fundamentally, this relies onexcellent systems of information ow andcommunication, as well as transparent andaccountable decision-making processes. Allthis is easier said than done, and achievingthis synergy requires commitment. The packsuggests ways to make those connectionsseamless, ensuring that practice isstrengthened because of the links created atevery level. For the pack to be usedeffectively you will need to consider how youare connecting to the other levels, tostrengthen your knowledge, analysis andimpact. This includes developing strongfeedback processes, so that activists at everylevel are informed of the outcome and impactof activities at any other level.11Therefore, at the local level people should be:I R e e c ti n go na n da n a lysin gth e ir c o n te x t,drawing on local realities and informationaccessed from partner organisations atnational and international levels;I D e ve lo p in gstra te g ica c tio np la n s,targeting individual, community and localactions, based on in-depth analysis;I B u ild in gp a rtn e rsh ip s, mobilising othersand developing networks;I R e se a rc h in g and generating evidence(which can be used locally and nationally);I C o m m u n ic a tin g at local, national andinternational levels, through writtendocumentation, as well as using oral andvisual media;I L in k in g with government, media and otherpowerful actors.At national and international levels peopleshould be:I T a k in gale a dfro m ,a n dsu p p o rtin gth elo c a l p ro c e ss , and expanding the policyinuencing space, to ensure local voiceswill be heard at national level;I M a k in gin fo rm a tio na c c e ssib le , throughtranslating, simplifying and producingalternative materials using diversecommunication media;I D e ve lo p in gre la tio n sh ip s withgovernment, media, academics and otherpowerful actors;I O rg a n isin gp u b lice ve n ts, focusedmeetings and conferences, creating publicawareness and mobilising;I T ra n sfo rm in glo c a lly-g e n e ra te din fo rm a tio n into evidence-based policy,as well as coordinating additional researchto strengthen local analysis;I Wo rk in ginc o a litio n s with other civilsociety actors.Who is it for?This pack is targeted at anyone working oneducation issues and interested in using arights-based approach, with a focus onpeople-centred advocacy, rights and power.The pack will help to strengthen educationwork across the board, whether you areworking exclusively on education or taking abroader social justice agenda.We hope that the pack will be used directlyby local NGOs and other communityorganisations at the local level. However, weexpect that it will be of interest to programmecoordinators, many of whom sit at nationallevel. They are often responsible forsupporting and giving strategic direction tothe work of their colleagues at local level andthis pack should be a useful resource. Inaddition, those working at the national levelcan use the pack to understand how to linkeffectively, both locally and internationally.Finally, the pack should also be useful forthose working at the international level,helping them to understand the types of workand processes that occur at local andnational levels, and to explore how theirknowledge, skills and focus couldcomplement and strengthen work at theseother levels.12What is this pack?This pack focuses on six strategic areas thatare central to, and provide a framework for, ahuman rights-based approach to work ineducation. These are:1. Understanding and securing the right to education;2. Working with excluded groups;3. Financing education;4. Promoting citizen participation in education;5. Securing rights in education;6. Advancing a full Education for All agenda.These six areas make up the six sections ofthe pack. Each section begins with a briefoverview of the key issues to be considered,and then discusses a range of activities whichcould be developed within a scheme of work.Short practical examples are given, from awide range of countries. The majority of theactivities focus on work at the local level, butnational and international links are alsodiscussed. Within each section we havechosen two or three areas which are analysedin more detail.A list of useful resources are shared in anannex at the end of the pack. The pack its e lf13Engaging with the packThe pack aims to get you thinking critically aboutyour work in education, to give you ideas andmethodologies to implement work in any of sixareas. These are guided by a human-rightsframework, which positions the debates andguides you through some of the key choices youwill need to make for the work. The approach isa participatory one, aimed at involving a widerange of people to debate and act on educationissues which affect them from a variety ofdifferent perspectives.The different sections of the pack are cross-referenced extensively as the nature of work atcommunity level means that it is difcult, andunproductive, to focus on issues separately. Youwill frequently nd that when working on onetopic, issues relating to another section arise.Therefore it is recommended that you take abrief look through the whole pack, familiariseyourself with the contents and be ready to movebetween the sections as necessary.Planning and adapting ideasf rom the packThe materials are designed to inspire. Theycan be used as resource materials to help in aplanning process or as training materials tobuild the capacity of colleagues working on theright to education. You may nd other uses forthe materials, such as to structure evaluationprocesses or inuence other organisations inthe way they approach their work in educationYou should see them as the starting point foryour work and should not allow them to limityou. While some of the activities presented inthe pack can be used directly it is expectedthat you will need to adapt the ideas for yourparticular objectives and context. You couldplan a workshop involving key colleagues andpartners to adapt this pack for your work,taking specic sections and thinking throughwhat you would need to do to put these ideasinto practice.A key starting place is to reect on wh a t so rt o f o rg a n i s a ti o n ,p a rtn e rs h ipo r c o a litio nyo ua re , thinking about the skills , capacities ,focus and contactsyou have. For example, a national CSO might have good accesstonational government and a range ofinformation sources which will help s upportnational level work, aswell as being usefulfor local level analysis and action, but it maynot have the contacts and legitimacy at locallevel to engage directly with communitymembers , school management committeesor local education s takeholders . Thismeansthat you might consider partnership withother organis ationsto ensure goodimplementation at local and national levels.In making thisdecision it will be important tounderstand what other civil society actorsare doing, how you will pos ition yours elf,what your niche is, and how you will add torights-bas ed work on education, rather thancompeting with, or replicating what othersare doing.14Once you have decided where your focus ofwork is, who you will be working with andhow, it will be important to ensure you have ag o o du n d e rsta n d in go f yo u r h o w th in g swo rk c o n te x t. This involves awareness ofcurrent government policy and priorities(especially with respect to education); keyinuences on government (for example, arethey swayed by national media and nationalopinion, or do they pay more attention tointernational inuences?); the nature ofadvocacy and campaigning in your country,and the experience of rights and democracyat the local level (Is it common to organisedemonstrations? Is more inuence wieldedover government through direct confrontationor through collaboration? How developed iscivil society? Is there a concept of localparticipation and democracy?). This will helpyou decide which activities will work best inyour context, how long-term your visionshould be and what strategies you shouldfollow (see also the stakeholders analysis,page 31).A third element is to u n d e rsta n de d u c a tio ninyo u r c o n te x t. How close is the government toachieving the Education for All goals(including ECCE, secondary and adultliteracy), who are the excluded groups, whyare they excluded? How will your workcontribute to strengthening their rights to andin education? An important element in this planning andreection process is to analyse the specicideas and activities contained in the pack,exploring how they might evolve in yourcontext, suggestions for doing this include:I U sin gac a sestu d y: read it through carefullyand think through any questions you wouldlike to ask the organisation involved (even ifthey are not available to answer yourquestions, this process will still be useful tohelp you consider the issues involved). Whatare the differences between your context andtheirs? How will this impact the process? Doyou agree with how they did their work? Whatwould you do differently? What outcomeswould you look for? I U sin gap a rtic ip a to ry to o l: it might be agood idea to practice the tool within yourteam, using the process to reect, analyseand plan based on your context andexperience. This will give you insights intohow the tools work, and will help yousupport others to use the tools. It will alsogive you ideas about the information youllneed to source to support this work,additional questions you might want toask, how to link the tool into widerreection and action, etc.I U sin gg e n e ricid e a s : you might nd ituseful to mix and match ideas in the pack.For example, an idea might be presentedin one place (for example, analysing aschool budget) and a process mentionedelsewhere that you think would be helpfulin supporting this work (for example,building relationships with government).To do this you should familiarise yourselfwith the range of techniques included inthe pack, so that you can apply them asappropriate in any given situation. Whenyou select a topic to work on, think: Howwill I do this work? Who will I work with?What methodologies could I use?I U sin gyo u r o wne x p e rie n c e s: often youwill have experiences, which are notreected in this pack, but which willprovide the foundations for your work. It isimportant to value the work you have donealready, and think through how you canbuild on it using some of the new ideascontained here. You may also haveexperiences which challenge some of theideas contained in the pack. Maybe youtried something and it did not work, or you found a more efcient way of doing it.The pack does not pretend to give all the answers. Some ideasare jus t notappropriate in some contexts. It isimportant that you take a lead from yourexperiences, using them to decide howyou will work with the ideas in the pack.D o c u m e n t a t i o nDocumenting work is important for manyreasons:I The process itself can help those involvedreect on their experience, sharpen theiranalysis and plan for action in the future. I It is us eful for record keeping, and can help in monitoring, review and evaluationprocess es. I It is a key element of accountability whether this is accountability to participants,stakeholders and partners, our own learning,our colleagues and organisations or donors. I It can support actions and enablecommunication with wider audiences, raisingawareness of specic issues for inuencingand provide evidence for your advocacy andcampaigning work.I Finally documentation can als o be us eful forsharing experienceswith other civil societyactors, locally, nationally and internationally.To s hare your challengesand success es ,new ideasand innovations , and les sonslearnt during the process . When planning your work with this pack we would encourage you to integratedocumentation strategies throughout yourwork, to support your own learning as well as to enable you to share insights with, and inspire, others. Documentation does not have to be written; you can use photos,drawings, video and oral communication.There are many choices made in documentation.And the following are key issues you will needto consider in planning the documentationprocess, as well as the product. I A im s a n do b je c tive s : Why are youdocumenting? What do you hope to achieve?What will your documentation focus on?What is its scope? I Wh a t: The content of documentation willreect your aims and objectives. Forexample, you may document a communityexperience of education campaigning toshare with others, or your own reections andlearnings from being a project coordinator, asa tool for others to draw on.15I A u d ie n c e : Who are your audience? Whywould they be interested in this particulardocument? I P a rtic ip a tio n : Who will do thedocumentation? Is it a participatory processwith people documenting their ownexperience, or is an external person goingto document the process. You need toreect on how different people mightcontribute, what needs to be done to enablethem to contribute and how they maybenet from their involvement. This willinclude an awareness of p o we r re la tio n s ,asking whose voices should be heard in thedocumentation, and how they will be heard.I F o rm a t a n dm e d ia : This will depend on youraudience and objectives. Different audienceswill require different media. For example, awritten document, showing quantitativeinformation expressed in tables, may betaken more seriously by government ofcials,whereas a series of posters or photos maybe more effective for communicating tomembers of the public. It is also importantto look at your documentation skills andcapacity. For example, if you decide avideo would be the best format todocument your work, you might need toinvolve someone with video expertise. I L a n g u a g e : This has two levels, thelanguage chosen for documentation, as wellas the specic words and style of languageused. Will the documentation be in thedominant language, in the local language orbilingual? Will it be complex and technical,or is simplicity important? Are you reportingspecic facts, or would a storycommunicate the message more clearly?These decisions will be informed by theaims and audience involved.I Ac c e ssib ilitya n drele van c e : It is importantto nd a balance between including all therelevant information and making sure thatthe document is not overloaded. I P ro c e ss : Who will be involved when? Whatfeedback loops are there to check thatinformation is accurate and valid? Who isgiven a chance to comment on thedocumentation? An awareness of powerrelations is essential, as this will determinewhose voices are heard in the nalproduct.16D i s s e m i n a t i n g / s h a r i n ge x p e r i e n c e sIt is not enough just to produce gooddocumentation; you also need to think throughhow you distribute it, and how you will ensureit reaches the intended audience. There aremany different strategies depending on yourobjectives and audience. Documentation foradvocacy and inuencing purposes arementioned throughout the pack. However, it is also important to share learning andexperiences with other civil society activistsat local, national and international levels.This could be done through the networks andcoalitions of which you are part. It can also beuseful to develop key target groups forspecic types of documentation; one groupmight be particularly interested in local levelexperience, whereas another has moreinterest in the national level processes andaction. You may also seek out new targets fora specic publication. For example, if youdocumented work on girls education youmight disseminate this to education networksas well as womens organisations. Thismeans actively seeking opportunities toensure that there is an audience for yourmaterials, and following up the documentsyou disseminate, nding out how they havebeen used and how you could make themmore relevant and useful.Experiences should also be shared regionallyand internationally, through the variousnetworks that exist (ANCEFA, GCE, CIRAC,etc.). ActionAid would also be interested inhearing about your experiences in using thispack. We could share these through theEducation Action publication, distributed toover 4000 organisations and individualsworldwide, as well as through the networksthat we are part of. We would be particularlyinterested to hear how you have adapted andexperimented with the ideas contained here,your successes, challenges and lessonslearnt, as well as new methods and ideas you have developed.The ideas contained here are a starting pointbut much more learning will develop as youexperiment with these ideas in practice. Andthis should be shared with others. Rights-based work in education is continuallyevolving, and we hope that practical use ofthis pack will help us move closer to makingeducation rights a reality. 17The right to educationhas been universallyrecognised since theUniversal Declaration ofHuman Rights and hassince been enshrined in arange of internationalconventions. However,while the vast majority of countries have signedup to, and ratiedinternational conventions(such as the InternationalCovenant on Economic,Social and Cultural Rightsand the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)far fewer have integratedthese rights in nationalconstitutions or providedthe legislative andadministrative frameworksto ensure that these rightsare realised in practice. Section OneUnder st andi ng andsecur i ng t he Ri ghtt o Educat i onIntroduction 19Grounding the right to education locally 22Introducing the right to education to rights-holders 23Making the right to education meaningful: The 4 As 24From analysis to action 28 In-depth analysis of specic issues 28 Documenting rights abuses 28 Collecting evidence for a test case 29 Using the constitution locally 30 Involving others 31 Non-public schools 35Working at the national level 37Understanding the right to education in your country 37 Mobilising for a constitutional amendment 38 Mobilising for new legislation 40Analysing and translating information 41Pursuing the legal option 42 Developing a country prole 50 Collecting evidence 50 Framing the case and choosing a court 51 Mobilisation 53Working with the government 54Under st andi ng andsecur i ng t he Ri ghtt o Educat i onC ontentsT y p e s o f in fo rm a ti o nth a t a reu se fu l fo r th iss ect i on:I I n te rn a tio n a l C o n ve n tio n s: Copies of the relevantsections of international declarations, chartersand conventions, including the Convention on theRight of the Child, Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights.I L e g a l in fo rm a tio n : Details of which internationalconventions have been ratied, nationalconstitution and other national legislation relatedto the right to education how is the right toeducation dened?I O f c ia l d a ta : Number of children in and out ofschool, EFA and MDG progress reports,information on education providers public andprivate division.I I n fo rm a tio no ng o ve rn m e n t: Level ofdecentralisation, who is responsible for the Right to Education, how does government work who are the key people to target for collaborationand inuence?I H u m a nR ig h ts o rg an isa tio n s a n dlawye rs: Who are the key contacts that you could work with, what previous work has been done on the right toeducation? What about other social services could learning be used?I I n fo rm a tio no nin te rn a tio n a l lin k s a n dp re ssu re s:What IMF and donor conditionalities exist, arethere plans under GATS?1819The right to education has beenuniversally recognised since theUniversal Declaration of HumanRights and has since been enshrined invarious international conventions, nationalconstitutions and development plans.However, while the vast majority of countrieshave signed up to, and ratied internationalconventions (such as the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights and the UNConvention on the Rights of the Child) farfewer have integrated these rights in nationalconstitutions or provided the legislative andadministrative frameworks to ensure thatthese rights are realised in practice. In somecases the right exists along with theassumption that the user should pay for thisright, undermining the very concept of a right.In others, the right exists in theory but there isno capacity to implement this right inpractice. Inevitably, a lack of governmentsupport for the right to education hits thepoorest hardest. Today, the right to educationis still denied to millions around the world.As well as being a right in itself, the right toeducation is also an enabling right. Educationcreates the voice through which rights canbe claimed and protected1, and withouteducation people lack the capacity to toachieve valuable functionings as part of theliving2. If people have access to education theycan develop the skills, capacity and condenceto secure other rights. Education gives people the ability to access informationdetailing the range of rights that they hold,and governments obligations. It supportspeople to develop the communication skills todemand these rights, the condence to speakin a variety of forums, and the ability tonegotiate with a wide range of governmentofcials and power holders. Introduction1K. Watkins, The Oxfam Education Report, (Oxford: Oxfam, 2000).2A. Sen, Capability and Well-Being, in M. Nussbaum and A. Sen (eds.), The Quality of Life, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 30-53.20The Right to EducationT h is b o xp ro vid e s asu m m a ry o f th eR ig h t T oE d u c a tio n ,d ra win ge x te n sive ly o nTheEconomic and Social Rights Handbook c o m p ile db y F lo re n c eB u te g wa .M a n y o f th eissu e sto u c h e do ninth is b o xa rep ic k e du pa g a inth ro u g h o u t Section One.T h is b o xm e re ly g ive sab rie f o ve rvie w o f th ele g a l b a sis fo r th erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,b ro a dc o n c e p ts o f th ec o n te n to f th erig h t,a n da nin d ic a tio no f th eo b lig a tio n s wh ic hc o m ea lo n gwithth is rig h t.What is a human right?T h eri g h t toe d u c a tio nis ah u m a nrig h t. A rig h t is so m e th in gwh ic hyo ua ree n title dto ,wh ic hyo uc a nc la im .H a vin garig h t m e a n s th a t so m e o n eelseh a s a no b lig a tio n .I f so m e o n eh a sth erig h t tofre ee d u ca tio n ,th e nth eg o ve rn m e n t o r sc h o o l c a nn o t re q u ireth a t yo up a y toac c e ss e d u c a tio n( e xc e p t th ro u g hab ro a d e r syste mo f ta xc o lle c ti o n ) .H u m a nrig h ts a reu n ive rsa l a n di n a lie n a b le .T h e y a re in h e re n t.Wea reb o rnwithth e m .T h e y c a n n o t b eg ive n ,o rta k e na wa y. As su c h ,h u m a nrig h ts a ren o n -d isc rim in a to ry,a n dsh o u ldn o t b ein u e n c edb yse x, e th n ic ity,n a tio n ality,e tc . ( alth o u g hsp ec ia l m e a su re s,a s lo n gasth e y a rere a so n a b lean dju sti a b le ,c a nb ein tro d u c e dtoe n su ree ve ryo n eh a s th ee q u a l o p p o rtu n ity toe n jo y th a trig h t se eb e lo w) .T h e y a reth efo u n d a tio no f fre e d o m , ju stic e a n dp e a ce ,a n da reth eb a si csta n d a rd s with o u t wh ic hp e o p lec a n n o t livealifeo f d ig n ity.T h e y a rep ro c la im e dinth eU n ive rs a l D e c lara tio no f H u m a nR i g h ts, a n dre in fo rc e db y m a n y le g a lly b in d in gin te rn a tio n a lc o ve n a n ts a n dc o n ve n tio n s, a s we ll a s inn a tio n a l c o n stitu tio n s. A lth o u g hh u m a nrig h ts a reth e o re tic a lly u n ive rsa l a n din h e re n t th e y c a nb ed e n ie dth ro u g hvio la tio n s inp ra c tic e .O fte np e o p lea reu n a b letoa c c e ss th e ir h u m a nrig h ts b e c a u seo fwh oth e y a re ,a n dwh e reth e y live .D isc rim in a tio nis rifeine ve ry so c ie ty,lim itin gfo re x a m p le ,wo m e n s a b ility top a rtic ip a teinp u b licfo ru m s ( o r h o u se h o ldd e c isio n -m a k in g ) ,o r th o sefro mm in o rity g ro u p s fro mre c e ivin ga p p ro p ria tee d u c a tio n .D isc rim in a tio n ,wh ic hp re ve n ts p e o p lefro ma c c e ssin gth e ir h u m a nrig h ts,is a na b u se ,u n d e rm in in gth eve ryc o n c e p t o f au n ive rsa l rig h t.International law and the right to educationT h erig h t toe d u c a tio nh a s b e e nre c o g n ise dsin c eth eU n ive rsa l D e c la ra tio no f H u m a nR ig h ts ( U D H R )in1 9 4 8 .A rtic le2 6o f th eD e c la ra tio np ro c la im s th a t: Everyone has the rightto education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.Elementary education shall be compulsoryeducation shall be directed to the fulldevelopment of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rightsand fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendshipamong racial or religious groups.T h erig h t toe d u c a tio nh a s b e e ne n sh rin e dinara n g eo f in te rn a tio n a l c o n ve n tio n s,in c lu d in gth eI n te rn a tio n a l C o ve n a n t o nE c o n o m ic ,S o c ia l A n dC u ltu ra l R ig h ts ( I C E S C R ,1 9 6 6 ) ,T h eC o n ve n tio no nth eE lim in a tio nO f A ll F o rm s O fD isc rim in a tio nA g a in st Wo m e n( C E D A W,1 9 7 9 )a n dm o rere c e n tly,T h eC o n ve n tio nO nT h eR ig h ts o f T h eC h ild( C R C ,1 9 8 9 ) .I t h a s a lsob e e nin c o rp o ra te din tova rio u s re g io n a ltre a tie s ( d e ta ile dinb o x e s o np a g e4 7a n d4 8 ) .B e yo n dth is m a n y c o u n trie s h a vem a d ep ro visio n s fo r th erig h t toe d u c a tio ninth e ir n a tio n a l c o n stitu tio n s.Wh ileth erig h t toe d u c a tio nis u n ive rsa lly re c o g n ise dth ewa y it is in te rp re te da t n a tio n a lle ve l d iffe rs su b sta n tia lly.T h is m e a n s th a t a lth o u g he ve ry h u m a nb e in gh o ld s th esa m erig h t re g a rd le ss o f a n y n a tio n a l la w,th ewa ys o f se c u rin gth is rig h t d iffe r g re a tly fro mlo c a tio ntolo c a tio n .F o r e x a m p le ,inso m ec o u n trie s th erig h t toe d u c a tio nm a y b ele g a llye n fo rc e a b leth ro u g hn a tio n a l le g isla tio n ,ino th e rs it will b eim p o rta n t tolo o ktoin te rn a tio n a l la w a n dsta n d a rd s.Understanding the right to educationI na d d i tio ntob e in gah u m a nrig h t i nitse lf,th erig h t toe d u ca tio nis o fte nc o n sid e re da ne n a b lin grig h t. It b rin g s b e tte r h e a ltha n de m p lo ym e n t o p p o rtu n itie s,e n h a n c e dn a tio n al g ro wth ,d e m o c ra c y , re sp e c t fo r h u m a nri g h ts a n de q u a lity.B e c au seo f its e n a b lin gq u a lity th e rea rem a n y o th e r h u m a nrig h ts wh ic hlin ktoth erig h t toe d u c a ti o n su c ha s th erig h t tofre e d o mfro mfo rc e dla b o u r, th erig h t towo rk a n dth erig h t top a rtic ip a teind e c isio n -m a k in g . T h e reis n oa b so lu tea g re e m e n t a s toh o w tod e n eth erig h t toe d u c a tio nb u t th ea im s a n do b je c tives o f e d u c a tio n , a s d e n edinth ein te rn a tio n a l c o ven a n ts a n dtrea tie s in c lu d eth efo llo win g :I T h ed e ve lo p m e n t o f h u m a np e rso n a lity,ase n seo f d ig n ity o f in d ivid u a l ta le n t,a n dm e n ta l a n dp h ysic a l a b ility I R e sp e c t fo r h u m a nrig h ts a n dfu n d a m e n ta l fre e d o m s,a s we ll a s c u ltu ra l id e n tity,la n g u a g ea n dva lu e sI E n a b lep e o p letop a rtic ip a tee ffe c tive ly inafre eso c ie tyI T h ep ro m o tio no f u n d e rsta n d in g ,to le ra n c e ,frie n d sh ipa m o n ga ll g ro u p s,a n dtom a in ta inp e a c eI T op ro m o teg e n d e r e q u a lity a n dre sp e c t fo r th ee n viro n m e n t3P rim a ry e d u c a tio nsh o u ldb ea va ila b le ,a c c e ssib le ,a c c e p ta b lea n da d a p ta b le( fo r 4 A s se eb o x ,p a g e2 5 ) ,a n dA rtic le1 3( 2 )( a )o f th eI C E S C Ra sse rts th a t p rim a ry e d u c a tio nm u st b ec o m p u lso ry a n da va ila b lefre etoa ll ( se eb o xo nc o m p u lso ry e d u c a tio n ,p a g e3 8 ) .T h e4 A sa lsoa p p ly tose c o n d a ry e d u c a tio n ,a lth o u g hth eI C E S C Rre c o g n ise s th a t se c o n d a rye d u c a tio nm ig h t ta k em a n y d iffe re n t fo rm s,a n dth a t a lth o u g hit sh o u ldb ea va ila b letoa llth e rem a y b ep ro g re ssivein tro d u c tio no f fre ee d u c a tio n .I . e .S ta te s m u st p rio ritiseth ep ro visio no f fre ep rim a ry e d u c a tio nb u t th e y a lsoh a vea no b lig a tio ntota k ec o n c re teste p sto wa rd s a c h ie vin gfre ese c o n d a ry a n dh ig h e r e d u c a tio n .Gender and the right to educationA t th is p o in t intim eg e n d e r in e q u a lity ine d u c a tio nis e x tre m e .G irls a rele ss lik e ly toa c c e sssc h o o l, tore m a ininsc h o o l o r toa c h ie veine d u c a tio n . T woth ird s o f th e7 8 1m illio nillitera tea d u ltsa rewo m en .T h e reis an e edfo r a f rm a tivea c tio ntoc h a llen g e th is rig h ts a b u se ,a n dsu c ha ctio nise n c o u ra g e dth ro u g hin te rn a tio n a l la w. F o r e xa m p le , g e n era l c o m m e n t 1 3 ,p a ra g ra p h3 2o f th eIC E S C Rallo ws fo r th e adoption of temporary special measures intended to bring about de factoequality for men and women and for disadvantaged groupsso long as such measures do notlead to the maintenance of unequal or separate standards for different groups and provided theyare not continued after the objectives which they were taken have been achieved4.M o re o ve ra c c e ss toe d u c a tio nalo n eis n o t asu f c ie n t c o n d itio nfo r th e rig h t toe d u c a tio n . D isc ri m in a tio nwith inth ee d u c a tio nsyste mm u st a lsob ea b o lish e d ,a n de d u c a tio nm a te ria ls a n dp ro c e sse sm u st n o t re in fo rc eg e n d e r ste re o typ in g( se eSection Two, p a g e7 3 ) ,th e y sh o u ldc o m b a t it.Rights and obligationsT h e serig h ts a lsosu g g e st o b lig a tio n s: the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights reafrmedthat States are duty-bound to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect ofhuman rights and fundamental freedomsa n dth eIC E S C Rg u a ra n tee s th a t th erig h t toe d u ca tio nwill b eex e rc ise dwith o u t d isc rim in a tio no f a n y kin d . T h e reis a lsoa c le a r o b lig a tio no nth ep a rt o fth ein te rn a tio n a l c o m m u n ity tosu p p o rt th erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,a s in te rp re te db y th eco m m itte etoth eIC E S C R( wh oa reth ea u th o rita tiveb o d y,c h a rg e dwithm o n ito rin gle g isla tio nre la te dtoth ec o ve n a n t) . F in a lly, i f fre ep rim ary e d u c a tio n , wh ic hm e e ts th e4 As sta n d a rd s,ex ists th e rea reo b lig a tio n s o nth ep art o f p a ren ts a n dg u ard ia n s toe n su reth a t th e ir c h ild re na reinsc h o o l.213F. Butegwa, The Economic and Social Rights Handbook Building Capacity for Sustainable Development, An Alliances for Africa TrainingResource, p.74-54ibid. p.8022The ideas contained in thissection focus on transforming theabstract concept of a right into atangible reality. This involvesunderstanding what the right toeducation needsto include, andthen working with people toenable them to accesstheirright. While the main focusofthiss ection ison primaryeducation the ideas and pro c e s scan, and s hould, be applied toany area of education linkingideas for securing thecons titutional right to the widerE FA agenda (s ee S e c ti o nS ix ) .Groundi ng t he r i ghtt oeducat i onl ocal l yThe right to education is an abstract conceptand although the right itself may be enshrinedin a series of national laws and internationalconventions, this is meaningless for peoplewho have never experienced the right, andmay not know that the right even exists forthem. They are likely to be unaware of theirconstitution or how it can be legally enforced.Grounding the right to education locallymeans transforming the abstract concept intoa concrete reality; it means looking at currentprovisions for the right to education, andexploring what local people need to maketheir right to education a reality. Understanding the legal basis of the right to education:I t is im p o rta n t tod oso m ein itia l re se a rc hb e fo rein tro d u c in gth erig h t toe d u c a tio na t lo c a l le ve l.A lth o u g hth erig h t toe d u c a tio nis u n ive rsa l th ewa y n a tio n a lc o n stitu tio n s a n dle g isla tio nin te rp re ts th is rig h t will va ry a n dm a y b elim ite d .T h is c o u ldlim it th ea b ility toe n fo rc eth erig h t n a tio n a lly.F o r e x a m p le ,th esta tem a y o r m a y n o t h a vera ti e dc e rta intre a tie s,o r e n sh rin e dth erig h t toe d u c a tio ninn a tio n a l le g isla tio n .T h esta tu s o f th erig h t,a n dth ele ve l o f d e ta il g ive na b o u t th erig h t with inth ec o n stitu tio no r n a tio n a l le g isla tio n ,will in u e n c eh o w yo up la na n dim p le m e n t yo u r wo rk .P R E PA R AT O RY WORK231 The rst stage of this work is to ra isea wa re n e ss o f th erig h t, just letting peopleknow that they have the right and arecurrently being denied it can be enough toraise peoples interest in being part of aprocess. And knowing that you have a right isempowering in itself. 2 The second stage is to make this rig h tm e a n in g fu l at local level. This meansexploring current provision on the right toeducation, understanding what is offered inthe constitution and what would need to beprovided in order for the right to be realised. 3 The third stage is to build p e o p le s sk ills,k n o wle d g ea n dc o n d e n c e so that they canhold the government accountable to deliveron its obligation, and to full the right toeducation. The ideas below need to be adapted andprioritised depending on the status of theright to education in your area (see boxprevious page). ORISSA, INDI AI nO rissa ,India,ac a m p a ig nwa sla u n c h e dtoe n h a n c eth eq u a lity a n dc o ve ra g eo f p rim a ry e d u c a tio n .O rissaS h ik sh yaA b h iya nis ap la tfo rmo fN G O s,th ete a c h e rsu n io na n do th e rtra d eu n io n s,a n db rin g s to g e th e rd ive rsec ivil so c ie ty o rg a n isa tio n s th a th a ven o t p re vio u sly c o lla b o ra te d .U sin ga n E d u c a tio nC a ra va n ,wh ic hto o ktwostre e t th e a treg ro u p s o ve r 6 , 0 0 0k ilo m e tre s th ro u g h3 0d istric ts o fO rissa ,th ec a m p a ig nd e m a n d e da2 5p e r c e n t in c re a seinth esta tee d u c a tio nb u d g e t;th ea p p o in tm e n t o f tra in e dte a c h e rs;q u a lity e d u c a tio na n dac o m m o nsc h o o lin gsyste m .T h eC a ra va nra ise dp u b lica wa re n e ssth ro u g hm o reth a n1 0 0p u b licm e e tin g s,u sin gstre e t p la ys toc o m m u n ic a teth ec u rre n t sta tu s o fe d u c a tio ninO rissa .T h ec a m p a ig nlin k e du pwithc e le b ritie s,su c ha s D ilipT irk e y,th ec a p ta ino f th eI n d ia nh o c k e yte a m ,wh oc a lle dfo r c h ild re ntoc o m etosc h o o l.T h e y a lsowo rk e dc lo se lywithth em e d ia ,wh ic hh a s g ive nth ec a m p a ig nwe ll d e se rve dc o ve ra g efo rits a c h ie ve m e n ts,e sp e c ia lly inse c u rin gh o ste ls fo r g irls fro mtrib a lc o m m u n itie s soth a t th e y c a na tte n dsc h o o l.T h ec a m p a ig nh a s a lsojo in e dwithth eF o ru ma g a in st C h ildE x p lo ita tio na n dth eC a m p a ig na g a in stC h ildL a b o u r tolin kissu e s o f c h ildla b o u r d ire c tly toissu e s o f la c ko fa c c e ss toe d u c a tio n .EXAMPLEFROMPRACTI CEI n t roducing the right toeducation to rights-holdersThere are many ways to raise awareness onan issue. The method chosen will depend onthe current links you have, and the scale ofintervention. For example, the box to the rightdescribes how a travelling caravan usingstreet theatre was able to raise awareness of the right to education across an entirestate in India. You could also use communitymeetings and links with local groups andschools. This initial stage involvescommunicating clearly that the right toeducation exists, and that it is thegovernments responsibility to deliver thisright. For people to be empowered, and claim their right they need to be aware of itsexistence. But just saying you have the rightto education on its own can be quitemeaningless.24Education Rights Circle DiagramAn a lysis b a se do nth e 4 As:Using an Education Rights Circle Diagramyoucan use the 4As to analyse local educationprovision and work with the local group toidentify specic criteria by which educationcould be evaluated. The four circles showdifferent aspects of the right to education. Theinner circle shows issues that will makeeducation acceptable to the individual or group.The second circle identies the ingredientswhich would make education available. Thethird circle ingredients that would makeeducation accessible, and this is framed withinthe context of the wider environment of how theadaptable the education is the outer circle.Through asking the question What would makeeducation available to us? (substituting thedifferent A word each time the question wasasked) the group can develop the ingredientsand conditions for the right to education. For the outer circle the group should considerissues in relation to their current reality whichimpact on education (these may have anegative impact on education and the challengewill be to think through what needs to be put inplace to facilitate education rights). Once thediagram is generated the group could comparetheir lived reality to this ideal context. Thisinvolves looking at where the differences andsimilarities are, analysing why these differencesoccur, and developing strategies for action.Making the right to educationmeaningful: The 4 AsA framework of 4 As has been developed to help people think through differentdimensions of the right to education.5Byusing a participatory process this frameworkcan become a tool to enable people to thinkthrough what the right to education means to them, and compare their current reality tothis ideal context. The 4As can be summarised as follows:I Availability that education is free andgovernment-funded and that there isadequate infrastructure and trained teachersable to support education delivery.I Accessibility that the system is non-discriminatory and accessible to all, and thatpositive steps are taken to include the mostmarginalised.I Acceptability that the content of educationis relevant, non-discriminatory and culturallyappropriate, and of quality, that the schoolitself is safe and teachers are professional.I Adaptability that education can evolve withthe changing needs of society and contributeto challenging inequalities, such as genderdiscrimination, and that it can be adaptedlocally to suit specic contexts.5Developed by Katarina Tomasevski, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.25In addition to the more detailed questionsexploring the 4As (see box) it may also beuseful to facilitate a more general discussionon the state of education locally. This will notonly help local people to view educationwithin the wider context, but also help inexploring why the right to education isimportant. By exploring the current contextand the desired future those involved will bebetter able to plan their actions to secure theright to education. You may nd it helpful todraw on some of the ideas in S e c tio nF ive tohelp document the discussion. Theinformation on Reect in S e c tio nS ix will also help here.General reection questions include:I How does current education provision inour area compare to the ingredients wehave highlighted in the Education Rightsdiagram? How does it impact on girls andboys, is there a difference? What are thegaps? Why are these gaps present? Forexample, there may be a school but nosanitation facilities, or the costs mightprevent some children from accessing theschool. It will then be important to look atwho determines the costs, makesdecisions about sanitation, etc.I How has education in the local areachanged over time? For example, maybeschooling was free but in recent years thecosts have increased, or how has qualityimproved or deteriorated? Why has thishappened?I Do we send our male and female childrento school? Why and why not? Are thereparticular groups of missing children?I Who is denied the right to education? How?What would need to change to makeeducation available to them? Are therespecic changes needed to reach specicgroups, for example girls? For example, iseducation only available in one languageand therefore inaccessible to minoritygroups who do not speak the language?I How does education benet us and ourcommunity? Does it benet boys and girls/ men and women differently, how? Why iseducation important? What do we hope toachieve through education? I What can we do to make the right toeducation a reality? For all children, whatare the gender and power relations weneed to be aware of?This last question will bring up a series ofdifferent types of action, which might befocused at the local level, or may requirenational action. The group may decide to domore research locally, or access ofcialdocumentation detailing their right toeducation. This will help contextualise theiranalysis and help them to understand whereand how rights abuses are occurring. Thequestions in the box (left) could help guidethis process. In addition, it will be important26Av a i l a b i l i t yI I sp rim a rye d u c a tio nfre ea n dc o m p u lso ry?I I f n o t,is th e reag o v e rn m e n t p la ntoa c h ie vefre ea n dc o m p u lso ry p rim a rye d u c a tio n ,w ithare a so n a b leti m efra m ea n db u d g e t?I I s su f c i e n t m o n e y a llo c a te dfo r a llc h ild re ntore c e ivep ri m a rye d u c a tio n ?I I s th es ta tem a k in gc o n c re teste p sto w a rd sa c h ie vi n gfre ese c o n d a ry a n dh ig h e r e d u c a tio n ?I A rete a c h e rs w e ll tra in e d ,a n dd oth e yre c e ived o m e stic a llyc o m p e titivesa la rie s,d oth e y h a vea p p ro p ri a tew o rk in gc o n d itio n s ,te a c h i n gm a te ria lsa n dth eri g h t too rg a n ise ?I A resc h o o l b u ild in g ssa fe ,d osa n i ta tio nfa c ilitie s e x i st, i s th e resa fed ri n k i n gw a te r,ali b ra ry,I C Tr es our ces ?A c c e s s i b i l i t yI Ise d u c a tio na c c e ss ib letoa ll,wi th o u t d i sc rim i n a tio no na n yg ro u n d s fo r e x a m p lera c e ,c o lo u r,e th n ic ity ,s e x ,la n g u a g e ,re lig io n ,e c o n o m i co r s o c ia l s ta tu s ?A rep o s i ti v ea c tio n sm a d etore a c hth em o s t vu ln e ra b le ?A reth e rea n yla w s,su c ha s p re ve n tin gc h i ldla b o u r la ws ,w h ic hn e e dtob ee n fo rc e dtoe n su rea c c e ss ib i lity ?I I s e d u c a tio nw i th i ns a fep h ys ic a lre a c h ?A reth e rea p p ro p ria tetra n s p o rt fa c i li ti e s?I I s e d u c a tio na ffo rd a b lefo r a ll th isin c lu d e sin d i re c t c o sts su c ha ste x tb o o k s a n du n ifo rm s?I H a vea ll le g a l a n da d m i n istra ti veo b s ta c le s,su c ha s th en e e dfo r ab irthc e rti c a te ,b e e na b o lis h e d ?The following questions will help local groups understand the status of the 4As in the local area. They could be adapted and used in local surveys to explore further the right to education in practice.E x p lo rin gth ea v a i l a b i l i t ya n da c c e s s i b i l i t yo f e d u c a tio nPara teachersI nre c e n t ye a rs th e reh a s b e e nasp re a do f n o n -p ro fe ssio n a l te a c h e rs,o fte np o o rly p a ida n dtra in e dwithlo wsk ills a n dk n o wle d g e .I t is im p o rta n t toc o n sid e r a t wh a t p o in t d o e s h a vin gan o n -p ro fe ssio n a l te a c h e r a m o u n t toavio la tio no f th erig h t toe d u c a tio n ?S e eSection Fivefo r m o rein fo rm a tio no np a rate a c h e rs.to compare the locally generated ingredientsfor education with the elements included innational legislations. Through doing thisgroups will be able to identify specic gaps either between what is included in thelegislation and what is provided, or betweenwhat is currently included and what is neededto make education rights a reality.Q U E S T I O N27Using visualisation techniquesM a n y o f th e seq u e stio n s c a nb ea n a lyse dfu rth e r u sin gvisu a lisa tio nte c h n iq u e s.F o r e x a m p leaRiver ( p a g e1 7 7 )o r Timelinec o u ldb eu se dtoe x p lo reth eh isto ry o fe d u c a tio nind e ta il.A Body Mapp a g e1 7 2 )c o u ldb eu se dtoe x p lo reavisio no f a ne d u c a te dp e rso n lo o k in ga t wh a t k n o wle d g eth e y h a vea n dh o w th e y m ig h tc o n trib u tetoth ec o m m u n ity.AMatrix ( p a g e2 3 9 )c a nb eu se dtoa n a lysewh oth em issin gc h ild re na re p lo ttin gd iffe re n t c a te g o rie s o f c h ild re na lo n go n ea c c e ss,a n dre a so n s wh y th e y m ig h t n o t b ea tte n d in gsc h o o l a lo n gth eo th e r.Q U E S T I O N& ANALY S EA c c e p t a b i l i t yI I s e d u c a tio np lu ra listic ?I s it fre efro mre lig io u s ( o r o th e rin d o c trin a tio n ?A reth ec u rric u lu ma n dte x ts o p e na n dto le ra n tto wa rd s ara n g eo f d iffe re n t( re lig io u s,p o litic a l,e tc . )b e lie fsyste m s?I I s e d u c a tio nn o n -d isc rim in a to ry?A rete x ts a n dc u rric u lu mn o n -b ia se da n do b je c tive ?I s th ee d u c a tio nre le va n t a n dc u ltu ra llya p p ro p ria te ?I A reth e rem in im u msta n d a rd s fo re d u c a tio n( n u m b e rs o f te x t b o o k s,m e th o d s o f in stru c tio n ,e tc . ) ,wh ic ha rem o n ito re da n de n fo rc e db yg o ve rn m e n t ( inb o thth ep riva tea n dp u b licsc h o o l syste m s) ?I I s th esc h o o l sa fe ?I s vio le n c ec o n d e m n e d ?A rem in im u mh e a lthsta n d a rd s inp la c e ?I A reth e resu f c ie n t te a c h e rs?A reth e y tra in e dtoa na p p ro p ria testa n d a rd ?A reth e y p ro p e rlysu p p o rte da n dsu p e rvise d ?A d a p t a b i l i t yI I s th esc h o o l a b letoa d a p t e d u c a tio np ro visio ntoth esp e c i cn e e d s o f th e irp u p ils a n dlo c a l c h ild re n ?E . g .a rere lig io u s a n dc u ltu ra l h o lid a ysre c o g n ise d ,a restu d e n ts withd isa b ilitie s c a te re dfo r e tc . ?I C a ne d u c a ti o na d a p t toth ec h a n g in gn e e d s o f s o c ie tie s an dc o m m u n i ti es ?E . g .I s th e rea d e q u a tep ro v isio nfo rlin g u istica n dc u ltu ra l m in o ritie s b a la n c in gle a rn in gn a tio n a l la n g u a g ea n dc u ltu rewithp re se rvin gth ei r o wn ?I se d u c a tio nad a p tin gtore sp o n dtoth eH IV p a n d e m i c e tc .?I Is th e realin k b e twe e nsc h o o l le a vin ga g ea n dm in im u ma g efo r e m p lo ym e n t,m a rria g e , m ilita ry, c rim in al re sp o n sib ilitye tc .?Wh a t h ap p e n s toy o u n gp e o p leifth ereis am ism a tc ho f a g e s?I D o e s sc h o o lin gp ro te c t a n de n h a n c ec h ild re n s rig h ts e . g .d o e s it p re ve n tth e mfro mc h ildla b o u r o r fo rc e dm a rria g e s,d o e s it e n h a n c eth e ire m p lo ya b ility,in c re a seg e n d e r e q u a litye tc . ?E x p lo rin gth ea c c e p t a b i l i t ya n da d a p t a b i l i t yo f e d u c a tio n28information (which may require national levels upport) or generating local level evidence.In S e c tio nF i ve you can nd s omes ugges tions for local res earch and ques tionsto develop indicators by which to meas uredifferent as pects of the right to education.Documenting rights abuses:Having documented evidence is crucial incampaigning for the right to education, tosupport any claims you make about thecurrent status of education. It is also animportant way to get people to reect furtheron their analysis, and can help in buildingcondence in local knowledge.There are many different ways to document,as well as different types of information tocollect. For example, it can be useful to haveinformation to show numbers of children outof school, or teacher student ratios, or todocument a personal testimony, which givesqualitative details about a situation (and canbe a useful, and emotive, tool to help peopleunderstand and even identify with the rightsabuse).F rom analysis to actionThe 4Asprovide a good s tarting point foranalysis on the right to education, but it iscrucial to move from analysisto action which might be targeted at local, dis trict ornational level. This might include furtheranalysis and documentation on speciciss ues , linking to national level campaigningon the right to education (specic a l l ythrough collecting information for a testcas e) or raising awarenes s and acting locally encouraging a range of other educationstakeholdersto act on the right toe d u c a t i o n .In-depth analysis of specic issues:The E d u c a ti o nR ig h tsd ia g ra m will enablepeople to think quickly through the range ofiss ueswhich make up the right to education,but it will not give space for reviewings p e c i c is sues in depth. The group mightchoose a particular iss ue and decide toexplore it further among themselves , or dosome res earch to nd out more about it.This could involve access ing more ofc i a lDeveloping oral testimoniesP e rso n a l te stim o n ie s c a nb evivida n dc h a lle n g in g ,a n dc a nb re a th elifein toa nissu e .T h eg ro u pm a y d isc u ss a nissu ea n dd e c id etore c o rdap e rso n a l te stim o n y,o r se e ko u tsto rie s toillu stra teap o in t o r issu e .I no th e r c a se s th eg ro u pm a y d e c id etoa p p ro a c hso m e o n eo u tsid eth eg ro u pwh oth e y k n o w h a s ap o we rfu l sto ry tote ll.T h ete stim o n ym ig h t b ed e ve lo p e dinp a irs,th ro u g hu sin gata p ere c o rd e r,o r it c o u ldb eawid e r a c tivity,in vo lvin gawh o leg ro u p .I t is im p o rta n t top u t th ep e rso nte llin gth esto ry a t e a se ,a n dn o ttoo ve rwh e lmth e mwithto om a n y q u e stio n s.S o m e tim e s avisu a lisa tio nte c h n iq u e ,lik eariver ( se ep a g e1 7 7 ) ,m a y h e lpth ep e rso nte ll th esto ry inam o restru c tu re dwa y.O n c eth esto ry h a s b e e nc o lle c te dth eg ro u pc a nre vie w it,lo o ka t wh e rea d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio nis n e e d e d ,a n dre stru c tu reit a s a p p ro p ria te e n su rin gth a t lin k s a rem a d etoth ea n a lysiso f th e4 A s d isc u ssio n ,a n dth a t th esto ry c a nb evie we dinre la tio ntole g isla tio no nth erig h t toe d u c a tio n .I t is im p o rta n t th a t th ete stim o n y re e c ts th eto n ea n dm e a n in go f th eo rig in a l,a n dth ep e rso nc o n c e rn e dis h a p p y withth e n a l ve rsio no f th esto ry.I t m ig h t b eth a t asig n e dc o n tra c t is d e ve lo p e dtoa g re eh o w th esto ry c a nb eu se d .T h esto ry c o u ldb esh a re dwithth em e d iao r p o lic y m a k e rs,o r u se dinate st c a se .K n o win gh o w yo uin te n dtou seth esto ry is im p o rta n t a s it will im p a c t o nth ewa y yo up ro d u c eth ed o c u m e n ta tio n ,a n dwh oyo ush a reit with .A C T I V I T YLinking nancing and the right to educationO fte np ro h ib itivec o sts p re ve n t c h ild renfro ma c ce ssin gsc h o o lin g , e ve ninc o u n trie s wh e ree d u c atio nis fre e . Ina d d itio ntoe n ro lm e n t o r u ser fe e s,th e re m a y b eara n g eo f d iffe re n t c h a rg e s, in c lu d in g : sc h o o l u n ifo rm s,tra n sp o rt, sc h o o l d in n e rs, e xa m in a tio nfe es, te xtb o o k c o sts, sp o rts d ays an dc o n trib u tio n s ton o n -te a c h in gsta ffsa la rie s.D evelo p in gu n d ersta n d in ga b o u t th ec o st o f e d u c a tio nc a nb eim p o rtan t ind e c id in gwh a t typ eo f rig h ts a b u seis o c c u rrin g , a n dwh oisre sp o n sib le ( se eSection Three.29whether a violation exists (see box overleaf).Once the individual or group, and the rightsabuse has been identied a mixture oftechniques can be employed to documentthe abuse. For example, as well as developinga personal testimony, which illustrates thepersons educational experience (see boxprevious page), it will also be important tocollect other types of information including:I Other local peoples view of the situation for example, what do the teachers, SMC,DEO have to say? What have otherchildrens and families experiences been? I Information about the local context, includinghow many others suffer from a similar rightsabuse. Have any efforts been made toextend the right to education locally? I Who is the perpetrator of the abuse? Is itlocal or national government? Who is thetarget for the test case?In addition to collecting additional informationyou will also need to think through who youwill work with in taking the test case forward.This includes identifying local and nationalmedia, education coalitions (or other relevantcoalitions for example HIV coalitions,womens movements, minority groupmovements etc.) as well as lawyers andlegislative experts who understand thesystem and know how to prosecute a case.In deciding what sort of documentation you will use it will be important to considerthe questions outlined in the introduction(page 15) such as:I Why you are documenting the experience? I Whose voices will be heard and what are thekey messages you are trying to get across. The research and documentation processitself can become part of an advocacyprocess, through involving a wide range ofpeople you can raise awareness and interestin the right to education.Collecting evidence for a test case:One option in pursuing the right to educationis to use the legal system. Groups havesuccessfully upheld the right to educationthrough using constitutional provisions,international education law and otherinternational legislation (such as anti-discrimination provisions). There are variousbenets in pursuing this route, including raisingpublic awareness and interest in the right toeducation, galvanising action across civilsociety, including the media and challengingthe government directly to justify or change itspolicies. The types of evidence needed for eachtype of action (whether focusing on national orinternational level, education violation or widerdiscrimination) differ substantially, and it isimportant to be clear from the onset about thetype of action you are pursuing. It is importantthat these decisions are made at the local level,with support and information from the nationallevel (the legal process is covered in detail in thenational level section, page 38 onwards).Building on their analysis the group will need toidentify a specic individual or group of peoplewho are experiencing a specic rights abuse,and are happy for their experience to bepublicised and taken nationally. For example,the language of instruction may exclude aminority group who do not speak the language;or there may be no school within 10 kilometresof the community, and no transport links,making it impossible for children to attendschool; or the sanitation facilities may beinadequate, leading to parents withdrawinggirls from school. It is important to establish30Using the constitution locally:As well as developing evidence for a testcase at national level it is also important tofocus on the local and district levels. This isbecause the rights abuse might be takingplace at local rather than national level (forexample because of lack of interest orthrough misallocation of resources) andbecause working collaboratively at the locallevel can extend your voice and inuencenationally. Work might involve highlighting therelevant bits of the constitution and visitinglocal schools, the district education ofcer,local authorities or politicians etc. anddiscussing with them the constitution and itslack of implementation locally. Or you maymake the constitution available to a localWhen has the right to education been violated?6I t is ve ry im p o rta n t toc o n sid e r c a re fu lly wh e th e r th erig h t toe d u c a tio nh a s b e e nvio la te d ,o r if th ed e n ia l is b e c a u seo f a nin a b ility o nth ep a rt o f th esta te .T h erig h t toe d u c a tio niso n ly vio la te dif th eS ta ted e lib e ra te ly p re ve n ts,o r a llo ws o th e rs top re ve n t th ere a lisa tio no f th erig h t,o r if th esta ted o e s n o t a c t p o sitive ly,wh e na b leto ,tod e live r arig h t.I f,h o we ve r th erig h t is d e n ie db e c a u seo f ag e n u in ein a b ility tofu l l th is rig h t ( fo r e x a m p leth e rea reg e n u in ere so u rc ec o n stra in ts o r sp e c i cc irc u m sta n c e s th a t th esta ted o e s n o tk n o w o r c o n tro lth evio la tio nd o e s n o t e x ist. Violations are the result of unwillingness,negligence of discriminationa n dth e y c a nre fe r toavio la tio no f th eo b lig a tio ntorespect,protecto r full h u m a nrig h ts.I f avio la tio no c c u rs b e c a u seasta teis fo llo win gap o lic y,o r a llo win go th e rs toa c t inawa y,wh ic hp re ve n ts th ere a lisa tio no f th erig h t toe d u c a tio nth e ne vid e n c en e e d s tob ec o lle c te dtosh o w h o w th ep o lic y o r a c tio nlin k s d ire c tly toarig h ts a b u se ,a n dh o w a na lte rn a tivea c tio nc o u ldle a dtoth ere a lisa tio no f rig h ts.A m n e sty I n te rn a tio n a l id e n tifyc o reth re ewa ys th esta tem ig h t vio la teits d u ty tofu l l th erig h t toe d u c a tio nth ro u g h :I Retrogression:im p le m e n tin gp o lic ie s wh ic hm o vefu rth e r a wa y fro mth erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,su c ha s d e c re a sin gin ve stm e n t ine d u c a tio nwh e nth e reh a s n o t b e e nag e n e ra l d e c re a seinac o u n try s e c o n o m y o r re a llo c a tin ge x p e n d itu retoa n o th e r a re a( fo re x a m p lesp e n d in go nth em ilita ry ra th e r th a ne d u c a tio n ) .I Discriminatory non-fullment:T h eo b lig a tio nton o n -d isc rim in a tio nc u ts a c ro ss a ll o th e ro b lig a tio n s.T h is m e a n s th a t th e reis avio la tio nif d isc rim in a to ry la ws,p o lic ie s o r p ra c tic ea rea d o p te d( fo r e x a m p leif te a c h e rs o n ly sp e a ko f c ia l la n g u a g e s a n dn o t m in o rityla n g u a g e s) .I Failure to prioritise minimum core obligations:T h eI C E R S Cin c lu d e s ap ro visio no n p ro g re ssivere a lisa tio n o f th e serig h ts.I f asta ted o e s ta k ec o n c re teta rg e te dste p sto wa rd s a c h ie vin gth erig h t toe d u c a tio n ,e sp e c ia lly fo r th em o st e x c lu d e dg ro u p s,th is isavio la tio n( fo r e x a m p leif th e reis n op rio ritisa tio no f fre ea n dc o m p u lso ry p rim a rye d u c a tio n ) .group for local advocacy and lobbying (seebox, page 39 for ideas about how to analysewhat a constitution is really saying).It is important to explore the differencebetween an inabilityto implement the right,and an unwillingness to implement the right.(see box) For example, it might be thatfunding does not reach the local level, andthere are no revenue generation systems.This would suggest that the right is beingabused higher up the system (see nationallevel work) and that there is an inability toimplement the right locally. Or the fundsmight be there but be allocated to alternativeareas of work or be misused owing tocorruption suggesting an unwillingness. 6This box is based on the publication: Human rights for human dignity, (London: Amnesty International Publications, 2005).31stakeholders include teachers, students,parents, local government, educationofcials, national government etc. But youmay also want to consider lawyers andmedia who can inuence the educationsystem even if they themselves dont havea direct stake in it.Discussion questions include: I What connection does this person orgroup have to education?I What gives this person or group power inrelation to education?I How much inuence do they have ondecision-making on the education of anindividual child; at school level; local ordistrict level; nationally; internationally?I Is this situation that we have mapped outan ideal or reality? If it is a reality, is thereanything we would like to change? If it isthe ideal, how might we move from wherewe are now, to the ideal situation?I How does my role, position, access toinformation etc. inuence how I haveunderstood this picture? Would others see this differently? How?Understanding governmentM a n y p e o p led on o t k n o w h o w g o ve rn m e n t wo rk s,o r wh oh a s th eu ltim a tere sp o n sib ilitytod e live r e d u c a tio n .It is lik e ly th a t th esu p p o rtin go rg a n isa tio nwill n e e dtop ro vid ein p u th e re ,a n dth a t m u c ho f th efo c u s o f th ee x e rc isewill b eo nu n d e rsta n d in gth ed iffe re n tro le s a n dre sp o n sib ilitie s o f d iffe re n t p a rts o f th eg o ve rn m e n t.I m p o rta n t g o ve rn m e n tb o d ie s in c lu d eth ed iffe re n t e d u c a tio nb o d ie s fo r e x a m p le ,th eM in istry o f E d u c a tio n ,th ed istric t e d u c a tio no f c ea n dlo c a l g o ve rn m e n t ( th ep re c isere sp o n sib ilitie s o f th e seb o d ie s will va ry fro mc o u n try toc o u n try,d e p e n d e n t o nth ele ve l o f d e c e n tra lisa tio n )a n dth eM in istry o f F in a n c e( wh ois in stru m e n ta l ind e te rm in in gth eo ve ra ll e d u c a tio nb u d g e t,wh ic hin u e n c e s e ve ry o th e r d e c isio nine d u c a tio n ) .I t is a lsoim p o rta n t tou n d e rsta n dth ed iffe re n c eb e twe e no f c ia ls a n dp o litic a l re p re se n ta tive s.D e p e n d in go nth etyp eo f g ro u pyo ua rewo rk in gwitha t lo c a l le ve l yo uwill n e e dtod e c id eh o w tosh a rein fo rm a tio na b o u t g o ve rn m e n t fu n c tio n in g it c a nb esh a re da so f c ia l d o c u m e n ta tio n ,o r sim p li e de ith e r inwritte nfo rm a t th ro u g hap o ste r,o r sh a re dve rb a lly e tc .T h eg ro u pitse lf m a y d e c id etose t u pm e e tin g s o r in te rvie ws withd iffe re n to f c ia ls a n de le c te dre p re se n ta tive s to n do u t m o rea b o u t th e ir ro le s.Or it could be that the right is being abused atschool level itself, because of lack of interestor capacity on the part of teachers and theschool management committee. Dependingon the level of analysis you have been able tocarry out at local level you may present yourcase to the local education stakeholders, orinvolve them in further analysis.Involving others:In designing any action it is important tounderstand who the stakeholders ineducation are, and what specicresponsibilities they have. Throughunderstanding the different roles differentpeople have, or should be playing, you cantarget your work and decide who to involveand how. A simple starting point could be touse a S ta k e h o ld e rsM a trix(see page 239),with stakeholders along one axis and a list ofroles and responsibilities along the other axis(these could be generated through abrainstorming session and might includebudgetary control, hiring teachers,maintaining quality etc.). Each stakeholdercould be assessed in relation to the list ofresponsibilities, deciding which are relevant.You could repeat or extend this matrix bylooking at what each stakeholder contributes to the education system. Different32The analysis could be taken further using anE d u c a tio nS yste m s d ia g ra m . This is a usefultool to understand a system as a whole, toexplore the dynamics and relationships whichexist within a system as well as understandinghow power operates. This analysis is importantin planning what action to undertake and whoto target. It can be used to locate the localschool in relation to the national orinternational picture. Using different shapes, colours or symbolsyou can map out the different types ofstakeholder, their roles, how they contributeto securing education rights, their relations(for example are they strong or weak, positiveor negative), and also how much informationthey have access to, how much power theyhave etc. Systems diagrams can be as simpleor as complex as you like depending on howfar you wish to take the analysis. Aninteresting exercise is to look at informationand communication ows across the system:who has access to what information; wholinks with who; where does decision-makingoccur and how does this impact powerrelations, inuence in the system etc. Education Systems D i a g r a mThis should help you identify informationblocks, or obstacles to securing the right toeducation, as well as help to highlight anythingyou feel (you) should change in the system.33P o ssib lea c tio n s withd iffe re n t e d u c a tio na c to rsBased on an understanding of the differentroles and actors you can decide whichgroups to target for your work. Actors andlikely actions include: I Community members: thismight involve rais ing awarenes son the right to education and encouraging peopleacros s the community to become involvedin the s truggle for the right to education.Thiscould include facilitating an analys isproces s , bas ed on the 4As , with the widercommunity, or for certain members of theoriginal group to become peer educators ,linking to different groupsin the community to s hare information on the right to education. You could als o us e arange of communication techniques , s uchasposters, role playsand s ongs , to ens ure that information about the right toeducation isacces s ible widely. The aimhere would be to develop wider s upportand therefore s tronger voice for the right to education. Aspart of this proces sit isimportant to reect on who you arereaching ens uring that the mos tmarginalis ed s ectorsof society are giventhe opportunity to become involved. You s hould develop s pecic s trategiestotarget women and relevant minority groups . Thiscould als o build into local level coalitions either involving a range of different groups(such aswomensgroups , youth groups , teachers unions) orlinking acros s different communitiesto form dis trict-level education coalitions(s ee S e c ti o nF o u r for more information oncoalitions ). The other reas on for workingwith the local community could be tochallenge cultural prejudiceswhich existlocally. Often the reasonsfor people notacces s ing their right to education arebas ed in local s ocial s tructuresandinequalities(S e c tio nT wo highlightsthes e is s uesfrom a range of differentpers pectives ). Winning the cas e for theright to education for all at the local level isthe rs t s tep to winning thiscase more widely. I Local schools: The school itself may haveinstigated policies which discriminateagainst individuals or groups. Oftenmembers of the school managementcommittee introduce a range of user feeswhich poorer families can not afford, orspecic practices in the school excludegroups of people this might be throughreligious practices, or due to lack of safetyfor girls, etc. A rst stage in securing theright to education could be to work withthe school to explore the range of actionsK A L A N G A L ADISTRICT, UGANDAK a la n g a lad istric t,U g a n d ais m a d eu po f m a n y sm a ll iso la te disla n d s,wh ic hh isto ric a lly h a veh a dve ry littlea cc e ss toe d u c a tio n . O n e o f th e few sc h o o ls wh ic hh a de xiste dwa s c lo se dd o wnb ec a u sete a c h e rs sa la rie s we ren o t b e in gp a id( a s p a re n ts we reu n a b letop a y th esc h o o l fe e s)a n dth e rewe ren oe d u c a tio n a l m a te ria ls o r sc h o o lm a n a g e m e n t c o m m itte e .T og a ing o ve rn m e n t fu n d in gth esc h o o l n e e d e dac o d en u m b e r,a n dth isis o n ly p ro vid e dtofu n c tio n in gsc h o o ls.T h ro u g hth ee ffo rts o f th elo c a lc o m m u n ity th esc h o o l d e ve lo p e da nin te rimfu n d in ga n do p e ra tio n al stru ctu rea n dwa s a b letore o p e n .O n eye a r la te r,th eg o ve rn m e n t re g istra tio nc a m eth ro u g ha n dth esc h o o l wa s a b letofu n c tio np ro p erly. It n o w h a s fo u r c la sse s.T h is in itia tivewa s o n ly p o ssib leb e c a u seo f th ec o n tin u a l e n g a g e m e n twithth elo c a l g o ve rn m e n t,a n dth ed istric t e d u c a tio nin sp e c to ra te .B ylin k in gtoth e mfro mth esta rt o f th ep ro je c