The Protection of the Right to Education by International Law : Including a Systematic Analysis of Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

A trend has emerged of not defining education as a “human right” anymore, but of rather calling it a “human need”. This has paved the way for an ever increasing commercialisation of education, excluding the poor from access to education. A problem at a different level is that states often do not know what is expected of them when realising the right to education as protected by international law. This relates to the complex nature of this right, which is simultaneously a civil and political and an economic, social and cultural right. This book seeks to affirm education as a “human right” and to describe the various state duties flowing from the right to education. It refers to the provisions on the right to education found in instruments of international law and systematically analyses article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The book is of interest to students, teachers, researchers, legal practitioners and state and international officials dealing with international human rights law.