At the end of August, INEW’s Coordinator had the privilege of speaking on behalf of 21 NGOs before the Inter-Governmental Working Group on Free Pre-Primary and Free Secondary Education in Geneva – and what an incredible experience it was to work alongside colleagues from the Palais des Nations.
81 governments, alongside CSOs and Child Advocates, engaged across the three-day session exploring the development of an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to guarantee free pre-primary as well as free secondary education, and to recognise that the right to education includes early childhood care and education.
In our joint statement, the collaborating NGOs reiterated that no stronger alternative proposal for strengthening international law on early childhood care and education, free pre-primary education, or free secondary education for all has been presented. Rather, we called on states to constructively advance the Optional Protocol to establish a unified global standard on free education from pre-primary through secondary levels.
Our message is clear: stronger implementation of existing standards and the development of clearer legal obligations need to advance together as complementary and mutually reinforcing pathways for lasting progress.
📺 Watch the statement on UN Web TV: UN Web TV – Statement
✏️ Read the full joint NGO statement: Joint NGO Statement – OPFRED
Moreover, Child Advocates, who have been directly participating in the process from the start, presented their recommendations informed by consultations with more than 80 children across all regions of the world.
They called for genuinely free education, including action on hidden costs, across all levels of education – providing meaningful examples from all over the world of how the costs of education prevent children from accessing quality learning.
In Ireland, INEW is urging the government to embrace and support the development of the Optional Protocol and will continue engaging alongside colleagues and partners to further mobilise support for this important process.
Learn more about our full campaign here: Campaign for Free Education Worldwide – Optional Protocol 4 for the UNCRC – Irish Network For Education Worldwide
