Everyone has the right to Education
Education is a universal human right. It is one of the foundations people need to live well. By protecting it, we can build fairer systems, reduce inequalities, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and participate fully in society.
What is the right to education?
Everyone should have access to good quality education throughout their lives. Education helps people develop skills, build confidence, participate in their communities and shape their futures.
Everyone has the right to education – and the support to achieve it.
Yet too many people face barriers to learning and opportunity.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Educational inequality is not inevitable. It is shaped by choices about how our systems are designed, funded and implemented.
The right to education is guaranteed in international law, in article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) which the UK Government ratified ICESCR in 1976, and in doing so agreed to abide by the rights in it.
The right to education is not simply about attending school or another educational establishment. It is about ensuring everyone can access education that is available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality.
Education is one of the foundations of a strong society. Like housing, food, healthcare, social security and decent work, it helps create the conditions people need to live healthy, secure and fulfilling lives.
In practice, the right to education means:
- Everyone can access good quality education without discrimination
- Education is available and accessible to everyone, no matter who they are or where they live
- Schools, colleges and other learning environments are safe, inclusive and supportive
- Governments create the conditions needed for people to learn, develop and achieve their potential
- Education supports participation in society, culture, employment and community life
- People can hold decision-makers accountable when education systems fail to provide the foundations they need to live well
When these foundations are strong, people can thrive. When they are not, people can be excluded from opportunities, experience poorer outcomes and face barriers that affect them throughout their lives.
Why stronger protections are needed now?
Across the UK, too many children, young people and adults face barriers to education.
- Educational outcomes continue to be shaped by poverty and inequality.
- Many children with additional needs struggle to access the support they require.
- Schools and colleges face significant funding and staffing pressures.
- Rising costs create barriers to participation for some learners and families.
- Children and young people continue to experience inequalities linked to disability, race, income and other factors.
- Too many people leave education without the support and opportunities they need to flourish.
These are not isolated experiences. People’s everyday experiences show where systems are failing and where change is needed.
Educational inequality is not the result of individual choices or personal failure. It reflects decisions about funding, support, inclusion, accountability and access.
Protecting the right to education would help shift the focus from managing inequalities to preventing them. A legal right to education would create clear standards, strengthen accountability, and help ensure decision-makers take action when systems are failing.
Education should help everyone develop their talents, participate in society and shape the future they want for themselves and their communities.
Change happens when we act together. By protecting the right to education, we can build systems grounded in human rights, dignity and equality, so everyone can rely on the foundations they need to live well.
right to Education Resources
Read our blogs on the right to education.
Explore our reports, briefings and submissions on education and human rights.