Realising the Right to Education: Reclaiming Public Systems for Equity and Inclusion
Nine speakers, representing governments, civil society and unions, discussed the steps needed to guarantee universal, equitable, and quality public education.
The wider importance of public education for peace, sustainability, and other human rights was underscored and the need to challenge the growing trend of privatisation in education.
Key takeaway: robustly funding public education systems is crucial to tackle educational inequality and ensure that no one is left behind.
This November 3rd, 2025, Representatives from government, civil society, student and teacher unions raised their voices for public education at the Realising the Right to Education: Reclaiming Public Systems for Equity and Inclusion during the Second World Summit for Social Development. It sought to explore strategies for realising the right to education through strategic litigation, the localisation of international human rights standards, and collaboration with social movements.
The event was a collaborative effort by: ActionAid, Africa Network Campaign onEducation for All, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education, Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education, Global Campaign for Education, Global Student Forum, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Education International, International Commission of Jurists, Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education, Oxfam, Public Education and Human Rights Coalition, Right to Education Initiative, Right to Education Forum India, The Alternatives Project, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, World Organization for Early Childhood Education.
“The right to education stands at a crossroads”
Grant Kasowanjete, Global Coordinator, Global Campaign for Education set the stage for the discussion, recognising that “education is strongly integrated in the Call to Action” of the Doha Political Declaration which will be adopted during the World Social Summit for Development. He highlighted, however, the continuing need for collective advocacy around the right to education. The concern was echoed by Gwang-Chol Chang, Chief of Section of Education Policy, UNESCO, who outlined the biggest challenges facing our public education systems globally. Gwang-Chol Chang explained the twin crises of equity and relevance in education with growing inequalities robbing learners of their rights at the same time as education systems are struggling to remain relevant in the face of challenges such as climate change and conflicts. These crises are worsened by the enormous financing gaps with many low-income countries’ debt repayments are now more than their education budgets. The combined effects are clear: “broken promises and wasted potential” as well “declining trust in public institutions”.
The public supports public education
In spite of the difficulties facing public education, Gwang-Chol Chang, highlighted that nine out of ten people still believe education should remain primarily in public hands. Far from giving up on the potential of public education, the public are demanding: “fairer, stronger, better and more resilient” public education systems.
The risks of privatisation in education
UNESCO’s representative Gwang-Chol Chang’s noted that privatisation without regulation “can entrench inequalities, commodify learning and divert scarce resources from public systems”. Moreover, privatisation “risks transforming education from a right into a commodity where access and quality depend on the ability to pay”. As a result, he emphasised the need for a “regulatory framework that holds all providers responsible for equity, transparency and quality”.
Sri Lankan government representative raised concerns around the privatisation of education
Jayani Prisangika, Director of Planning, Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, drew attention to the negative impact of increasing privatisation on learners in Sri Lanka:
“Growing dependency of private tutoring and quick expansion of the private education sector make inequality even worse. There are also new private schools opening up with different levels of oversight, which raises worries about commercialisation and unequal access to quality education.”
For Sri Lanka, resolving these issues is a priority. There is currently a school rationalisation project underway so that all children can reach “a well-resourced school within 3km of their home”. The government is also giving students a range of support, including free textbooks, and uniforms, the curriculum is being updated and there is a teacher professional development programme. Jayani Prisangika finally underscored that achieving SDG4 will require not just work by the government, but collaboration with community networks, international development partners and civil society.
Colombian government representative voices support for public education
Ilich Gustavo Ortiz, Director of Strengthening Territorial Management, Delegate for the Ministry for Education, Colombia affirmed the current government’s determination to prioritise education as a human right, and not as a market good.
In recent decades, Colombia’s education system has had both public and private components. Now the government is focusing on reversing this trend. To ensure that public education reaches all students, the government is working to remove structural exclusions and redirect resources to rural areas as well as developing programmes and policies to support learners from indigenous and afro-descendent groups. Early childhood education is also being introduced for the first time in Colombia. Llich Gustavo Ortiz emphasised that there are, of course, challenges in the implementation following decades of structural and economic inequalities which will take time to overcome. However, the Ministry is working hard with civil society organisations to ensure that the right to free education across Colombia is fulfilled.
Why education is vital and we need to adequately fund it in this political moment
In the context of tight national budgets and declining external aid, Jo Bourne, Chief Technical Officer, Global Partnership for Education, outlined the many reasons why we need to continue to defend education. It is not only an “investment in people, stability and shared prosperity”, it can reduce poverty, aid peace-building and strengthen the social contract. For girls, education can be especially powerful - lowering the risk of early marriage and encouraging civic participation.
Jo Bourne concluded her contribution by underscoring the importance of financing: “Transforming education systems needs predictable, equitable and sustainable financing.”
Success advancing the right to education in Nepal through strategic litigation
Karuna Parajuli, Legal Advisor Asia Pacific Programme, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) introduced two programmes advancing the right to education in Nepal. Firstly, ICJ supports litigating lawyers by creating networks of public interest litigation. Through these networks, the lawyers are able to work together on the right to education. Secondly, ICJ leads a mentorship programme pairing young lawyers with senior advocates with expensive experience working on economic, social and cultural rights. Through this programme the young lawyers are introduced to international human rights frameworks and key reference texts such as the Abidjan Principles.
Both programmes have resulted in positive developments. Notably, the group of public interest lawyers filed a petition against private education providers because they
had failed to provide basic infrastructure and were charging unregulated tuition fees. In response, the High Court ordered the local government to carry out monitoring and “instructed the private education providers to comply with government rules on fees and minimum standards”. The programmes have demonstrated the importance of strategic litigation as a tool for localising international standards.
However, they have also shown that strategic litigation alone is insufficient. There is considerable resistance from private education providers, who push back against regulations. Karuna Parajuli highlighted: “the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue and coordination to build a broader social moment … to make sure that education is understood not as something to be bought or something to make a profit, but rather as a right”.
Civil society’s role in advancing education for all
Anjela Taneja, Public Services and Inequality Lead, Oxfam, outlined the key role of civil society in transforming human rights into realities – from proposing practical policies to coalition-building, developing a public movement for the right to education. Alluding to the context of declining aid budgets and increasing pro-private narratives pushing initiatives such as public-private partnerships, she emphasised the need to push back against privatisation, financialisation and commercialisation. Notably, Anjela Taneja highlighted the call by 111 civil society organisations globally for the Doha moment to “re-iterate the importance of public services and prioritise action on these”.
The need to build social movements to strengthen public education
Florian Lascroux, Coordinator, Capacity Building and Solidarity Unit, Education International, re-iterated that the underfunding of public education systems globally has consequences. Notably, inadequate funding leads to overcrowded schools, low salaries for education professionals as well as insufficient learning materials and poor infrastructure. The resultant declining educational quality has been exploited by private actors, who provide education of variable quality. As a result, Education International has created the Go public! Fund Education campaign to:
“Expose the negative impact of austerity privatisation and on quality and equity of education systems and rights and conditions of education workers
Advocate for well-resourced, inclusive and equitable quality public education systems and their indispensable role in advancing human rights, equity and equality, peace, democracy and climate justice
Targeted support for education unions to advocate for increased public investment in education systems and education workers at national, regional and global level.”
Realising the right to education for all, however, requires partnerships. Florian Lascroux emphasised the need to work alongside a wide community to effect the required changes: “let’s build together on this momentum”.
Taking students seriously: how empowerment of young people is the key
Jacob Blasius, Executive Director, Global Student Forum explained the results of a global consultation of students in the lead up to the World Social Summit for Development. The result was clear: “social development cannot be achieved without accessible, equitable and publicly funded education systems that empower students to participate fully in society.” Students across the world expressed concerns about the barriers to access, including increasing fees and marketization in higher education along with inaccessible infrastructure. He also emphasised the importance of student voice: “Realising the right to education, also requires that students have a seat at the table”. Education systems become “more legitimate, more equitable and more accountable” when students contribute to decision-making and governance processes.
Solutions to deliver the right to education for all
Grant Kasowanjete, Global Coordinator, Global Campaign for Education brought together the threads from the discussion to identify concrete actions that Member States and the United Nations can take to advance free, inclusive, and high-quality education. He stated that:
“First, across the globe, we need to prioritise the provision of quality, public, inclusive, free education for all.
Second, governments need to fund public education. They should achieve the minimum benchmark recommended during the Transforming Education Summit as well as taking national and global action on tax, debt, and austerity. Governments must also prioritise equitable resource allocation.
Third, we need to stop funding education privatisation and regulate and enforce regulations on private actors. States, development finance institutions, investors, funders, and intermediaries should ensure their funding does not support private, particularly, commercial/for-profit education. Public funds should exclusively fund public education. States must invest in enforcing laws already in existence and develop new, strong regulations to protect the right to education.
Fourth, data-driven policymaking is essential. Reliable data enables governments to measure progress, identify gaps, and recalibrate strategies. Transparent reporting and community engagement foster accountability, ensuring that policy reforms and programme interventions are both effective and sustainable.
Lastly, we need to work together to reclaim education as a universal human right. Throughout the discussion today we have heard the impact of the strong and growing global movement for public education.”
“One voice may inspire change; many united voices can influence governments to transform public education systems now and for generations to come.”