Situation du droit à l'éducation au niveau mondial, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE)

1. Right to Education
Challenges in the
Asia-Pacific Region
Rene Raya
ASPBAE
World Human Rights Forum
Marrakech, Morocco
27-30 November 2014

2. The Asia-Pacific Region
Most populous region in the world
Fastest growing economic region
Yet, the Region faces serious
challenges in Education

3. Key Education Challenges
Asia-Pacific hosts the biggest
number of adult illiterates
 64% of global total
 Over half in South Asia
17.8 million out of school children
in the Region
 31% of global total

4. Key Education Challenges
Over 100 million youth, 15-24 years
old have not completed primary
education
 Asia-Pacific 60% of Global Total)
Global Total
200 million
Gender Disparity remains large
 2/3 of Adult Illiterates are women
 More girls out of school than boys
Asia Pacific

5. Asia-Pacific as the Least Spenders
in Education …
UNESCO Global Monitoring
Report (2012)

6. Public Expenditure
on Education as
Percent (%) of
GNP
UNESCO Global Monitoring
Report (2013)
Nepal
OECD

7. Adherence to the Right to Education
Most Countries in Asia-Pacific have
constitutional and legal provisions on
Free and Compulsory Education.
Most are signatories to ESCR, CRC,
CEDAW, and EFA
YES in formalities , BUT
hardly so in actual practice!

8. In Recent year…
Stronger Push towards Privatisation
 Growth in Private School Enrolments
 The rise of Low Fee Private Schools
Particularly in India and other South Asian countries
 Expansion of Private Tutoring; persisting User
Fees in most Asian countries
Create added barrier for the poor to pursue schooling
 The Emerging Corporate Chain Schools
 Promoted & marketed aggressively
 Using branding, endorsement, social media
 False claims on affordability and world class status

9. Growth in Private School Enrolments…
Pakistan
34.1%
India
~ 30%
Nepal
20%
Philippines
20%(Secondary)
Indonesia
41% Secondary)

10. Rights Issues linked to Privatisation
In Nepal
Closure and merger of public schools resulted to
children dropping out of school
In Cambodia
Private Tutoring has become so widespread that
affects learning of poor students who cannot afford
In India, other South Asian countries
Girls less likely to be enrolled in Private Schools,
thus, further widening gender disparity gap

11. Rights Issues linked to Privatisation
In Private Schools around Asia
Teachers are paid extremely low salaries, without
Benefits and No Security. Salaries go as low as:
1/8 of Government Teachers (India)
1/3 for Pakistan
1/2 for Philippines
These are some cases of Infringement of the
Right to Education that impact most especially
on Children, Women and on Teachers.

12. Implications of Privatisation on
the Right to Education
• Children & youth denied access to quality education
• Leads to segregation based on Ability, Socio-
Economic Status and Ethnicity  Exacerbates
inequality
• Widens gender disparity, putting girls at a
disadvantage
• Weakens/undermines the public education system,

13. Thank You!