The Right to Education
Treaties which commit Cameroon to fulfil the Right to Education for citizens.
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child
The current state of education in Cameroon .
Girls' and women's access to education. The level of education, the problems of accessing education.
The consequences of failing to fulfil the right to education.
What can be done to ensure the right to education.
In the run up to students going back to school in September we will be talking about the right to Education. Education is essential for the development of both successful individuals and successful societies.
The right to education is enshrined in various international Human Rights treaties, to which Cameroon is a signatory.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
Articles 13 and 14 of the ICESCR set out detailed formulations of the right to education. Article 13 contains a general statement that everyone has the right to education and that education should contribute to the full development of the human personality. It also specifically stipulates:
Primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all.
Secondary education, including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, in particular by the progressive introduction of free education.
Higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, in particular by the progressive introduction of free education.
Fundamental education shall be intensified for those persons who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education.
Systems of schools shall be established and the material condition of teaching staff shall be continuously improved.
The liberty of parents or guardians to choose for their children schools other than those established by the public authorities which conform to minimum educational standards shall be respected. In addition, article 13 recognizes the liberty of parents or guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.
Article 14 requires each state party that has not been able to secure compulsory primary education free of charge, to undertake, "within two years, to work out and adopt a detailed plan of action for the progressive implementation . . . of compulsory primary education free of charge for all.
Convention on the Rights of the Child ( CRC )
Articles 28 and 29 of the CRC deal with the right of the child to education. Article 28 is similar to the provisions contained in ICESCR. In addition, it states that school discipline should be administered in a manner consistent with a child's human dignity.
Article 29 stipulates that the education of the child shall be directed towards the development of the child's personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.
The current situation of school enrolment
In the late 1980's, Cameroon had nearly universal primary education, with an enrollment rate of 95.6 percent, but rates have dropped considerably since that time.
According to UNICEF, National primary school attendance rates in Cameroon have improved to 78 per cent. The three northernmost provinces lag far behind the rest of Cameroon in school attendance.
Cameroon 's school system suffers from a lack of resources. A study by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2004 found that elementary schools only had sufficient seats for 1.8 million students, even though 2.9 million students attended school. The study also revealed that the northern provinces were neglected. This was reflected in the fact that teachers working in the three provinces of that region represented only 5.7 percent of all teachers working throughout the 10 provinces in the country. Many schools lack water and sanitation.
In Kumba GCI has recently been made aware that many qualified students are prevented from accessing secondary education because the school authorities demand a bribe in exchange for enrolment. This means that qualified students who cannot afford the bribe will be excluded, while less qualified students whose parents can afford to pay are admitted.
Girls in education
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Article 10 of CEDAW also contains provisions dealing with the right to education. It provides, for example, for equal access to career and vocational guidance and to studies at all educational levels; access to the same curricula and examinations; elimination of stereotyping in the roles of women and men; and the same opportunities to benefit from academic scholarships.
Figures from Cameroon 's National Institute of Statistics indicate that currently there are 58 percent of girls enrolled in primary school and 83 percent of boys.
Girls have fewer opportunities to attend school and are more likely to drop out. The Equal Rights and Opportunity Forum, an NGO based in Cameroon, said in a 2005 report that out of 1.7 million children not attending school, 1.3 million were girls and that half of girls aged 6-11 did not attend school. In the three northernmost provinces half of all girls are out of school.
In 2003 UNICEF reported that the net primary enrolment rate for girls is 71%, compared to 76% for boysGirls' national dropout rates are so high that the net enrolment figure for secondary school is a mere 20%. Enrolment rates drop considerably at the secondary level for both boys and girls. According to UNICEF, the gross enrolment rate is 51 percent for boys and 36 percent for girls.
IRIN - Figures show that 60 percent of boys complete primary school compared to only 37 percent for girls.
According to UNICEF, there are several reasons why girls do not attend school or are forced to drop out.
Limited public investment in education . Classes are overcrowded, teachers are in short supply and inadequately trained, and school hygiene and sanitation facilities are inadequate.
- Low demand for education . In some areas, despite degrees of progress, schooling is still perceived to be unresponsive to cultural or religious customs and practices.
- Discrimination against girls' schooling . Discrimination against girls' schooling is common practice in many schools, within families and in communities. Therefore, maintaining girls in school is a problem to be tackled because they often are removed from school and kept at home for domestic chores and preparation for early marriage.
- Direct and indirect costs of school. The cost of learning materials and other school-related expenses are difficult for low-income families to bear, and boys often receive first priority.
- No birth certificate. The absence of a birth certificate precludes eligibility to take the final exam at primary level and many children, particularly girls, are not registered.
Consequences of low education
Low educational levels results in high levels of adult illiteracy. According to UNICEF in 2005 23% if men and 40% of women in Cameroon cannot read or write. This impacts of their ability to get a job, and leads to poverty.
The right to education is crucial to securing other human rights it facilitates freedom of expression, participation in government, and enables people to understand their rights and to fight for them when they are abused.
What can be done
To resolve the shortage of teachers the government should implement programmes to encourage people to undertake teacher training.
To resolve the lack of resources in schools the government must invest in education. Programmes should be implemented to ensure that this money is spent appropriately and to prevent corruption.
To ensure access to education, the government and school authorities must make sure that students are not required to pay bribes in order to enrol in school.
Parents may also be tempted to keep children out of school so that they can do chores in the house or work to earn money for the family. Families who rely on child labour for income will struggle to send their children to school. However, it is important that they realise that poverty will only be alleviated through education, so they must use every means possible to send their children to school. The government should intervene to support families financially to send their children to school.
Parents must be informed of the importance of education. They need to know that this rights underpins other rights, and is crucial to alleviating poverty in the future. Cultural indifference to education, particularly to the education of girls, must be addressed, and change encouraged.
Parents must be encouraged to register their children so they all possess birth certificates and are therefore able to sit the end of primary school exam.
Both the government and non-governmental organisations have a responsibility to inform parents of their duties, and to support them to fulfil this right for their children.
In UNICEF focus areas, some 1,500 teachers in child-friendly/girl-friendly' schools received training. UNICEF also provided these schools with 18,150 new textbooks and 550 school benches.
I have talked a lot about the role of the government in ensuring the right to education. Ultimate responsibility for the rights of citizens lies with the government. We know that a big problem in Cameroon is corruption in the government. This must be addressed to ensure that government funds are used appropriately for the benefit of the population, for example by investing in education. People must put pressure on the government by demanding this.
GCI has begun a programme to address the issue of corruption in secondary school admissions in Kumba. We are asking anyone who has experienced this discrimination to come to our office and make a statement. We will compile a report and use this to put pressure on school officials to make access to secondary education based on merit, not bribes
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