Education is not only a human right, it allows young people to develop the skills and confidence to secure other human rights and a life they have reason to value. The right to education is enshrined in various international human rights treaties. The main attributes of the right to education include:
- Universal access to primary education free and compulsory for all;
- Accessibility to secondary education in its different forms as well as technical and vocational education which should be made generally available;
- Capacity-based access to higher education.
Yet, globally, 75 million children and adolescents (6-17 years) who live in, or come from conflict- affected areas, are out of school. Only 61 per cent of all school-age refugee children are in primary education, and 23 per cent in secondary. A mere 1 per cent of refugees have access higher education.
Although great strides have been made in increasing school enrolment across the globe, children and young people affected by crisis still face a range of barriers. One of those barriers is the authorities’ common requirement to present documents to access education. This affects not only enrolment but also access to examinations, impacting progression through education cycles.
