The right to education is a universal entitlement to education, a right that is
recognized as a human right. According to the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights the right to education includes the right to free, compulsory
primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all,
in particular by the progressive introduction of free secondary education, as well as an
obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the progressive
introduction of free higher education. The right to education also includes a responsibility
to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education. In
addition to these access to education provisions, the right to education encompasses the
obligation to rule out discrimination at all levels of the educational system, to set
minimum standards and to improve quality of education.
International Legal Basis
The right to education is enshrined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights1 and Articles 132 and 143 of the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights.
