Universal Periodic Review of Chile

The following report has been drafted by Broken Chalk as a stakeholder contribution to the Republic of Chile.

  • In Chile, the constitution and several education acts build up the legal framework of the Chilean education system. Based on these education acts, since 2003, primary and secondary education has been compulsory and free for children aged six and up. [i]
  • primary and secondary education are eight and four years, respectively. Secondary education is divided into two tracks: a general academic curriculum in the humanities and sciences and one with a vocational curriculum.[ii]
  • The Chilean educational system is decentralised and consists of three types of schools: municipal, private subsidised, and private non-subsidized. The Department of Municipal Education manages municipal schools, while private persons or institutions manage the other two kinds of schools.[iii]
  • 77% of Chilean 3-5-year-old children are enrolled in early childhood education, although the figure is slightly below the OECD average in 2022.[iv]
  • Based on data collected by the World Bank, Chile impressively achieved a youth literacy of 99% and an adult literacy of 97% in 2021.[v]
  • Aligning with gender stereotypes, Chilean women are underrepresented in subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics when entering tertiary education. Women accounted for less than 20% of new entrants in engineering, manufacturing, construction programs, and communication technologies. In comparison, they accounted for 83% of new entrants to the field of education, a sector traditionally dominated by women in Chile.[vi]
  • In Chile, there are significant differences in educational attainment across subnational regions due to uneven economic conditions and the pattern of internal migrations, resulting in differences in educational opportunities.[vii]
  • Although Chile was severely affected by the pandemic, the country learned from this experience and launched an initiative with UNESCO to strengthen teachers’ digital competence.[viii]
  • As Chile has signed and ratified the ICESCR, the CEDAW and the CRC, Broken Chalk urges Chile to eliminate gender stereotypes existing in society and make de facto changes.[ix]

By Ximeng Zhang

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References

[i] Nuffic, “Education System Chile Described and Compared with the Dutch System,” January 2015, https://www.nuffic.nl/sites/default/files/2020-08/education-system-chile.pdf. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

[ii] OECD. “Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers OECD Activity Country Background Report for Chile,” November 2003. https://www.oecd.org/chile/26742861.pdf. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] OECD, “ Education at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators, Chile” www.oecd-ilibrary.org, 2022,https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/5c6d0921-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/5c6d0921-en. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

[v] the World Bank, “Literacy Rate, Youth Total (% of People Ages 15-24) – Chile | Data,” data.worldbank.org, n.d., https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS?locations=CL.(Accessed 11 September 2023).

[vi]  OECD, “ Education at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators, Chile” www.oecd-ilibrary.org, 2022,https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/5c6d0921-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/5c6d0921-en. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

[vii] Ibid.

[viii] UNESCO, “New Initiative by UNESCO and the Chilean Ministry of Education Will Strengthen Teachers’ Digital Skills,” Unesco.org, May 5, 2023, https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/new-initiative-unesco-and-chilean-ministry-education-will-strengthen-teachers-digital-skills. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

[ix] OHCHR, “Treaty Bodies Treaties,” tbinternet.ohchr.org, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=35&Lang=EN. (Accessed 11 September 2023).

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Universal Periodic Review of Vietnam

The following report has been drafted by Broken Chalk as a stakeholder contribution to the The Socialist Republic of VietNam.

  • In education, Viet Nam has shown some outstanding achievements. The literacy rate is above 95%, and the country is committed to creating intellectual growth and development. Children start education at primary school from six years old until they are 11 years old. Primary education is compulsory and free of charge, resulting in a completion rate of 98%.[i]
  • After primary school, children move on to lower secondary school, completed by 87% of the children. Lastly, the children attend upper secondary school, completed by 59%. It is important to note that 92% of the wealthiest people end up in upper secondary school, and only 31% of the poorest people; this is a significant difference and shows the critical role of economic backgrounds in shaping educational outcomes.[ii]
  • Gender-based differences in completion rates are minimal, with very close rates for primary and secondary school. The most significant difference is in the completion rate for upper secondary education, where 51% of men and 65% of women graduate.
  • One of the reasons for Viet Nam’s high-quality education is the skilled teachers. Teachers receive extra training and are allowed to make the classes more engaging and exciting, improving the overall learning experience for students. Notably, the quality of education remains consistent across rural and urban schools. This is partly due to the government’s initiative to attract more teachers to remote areas by paying them more.[iii]
  • To continuously improve education, the Vietnamese Government mandates that all provinces invest 20% of their budget into education. The government has also created the ‘Fundamental School Quality Level Standards’, a framework that ensures universal access to education and guarantees minimum standards across all primary schools.[iv]
  • However, there are some problems in Vietnamese schools. Many LGBTQ students are harassed at school and do not see school as a safe space, sometimes leading LGBTQ students to drop out or even become homeless. Some problems arise due to natural disasters, which disproportionately affect students of poorer families.
  • Viet Nam has ratified most conventions such as CAT, ICCPR, CEDAW, CERD, CESCR, CRPD, and the CRC, accompanied by the two optional protocols (Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in armed conflict, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children child prostitution and child pornography). However, Viet Nam has not ratified the 1960 Convention on Discrimination in Education.[v]

By Fenna Eelkema

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References

[i] “Viet Nam SDGCW Survey 2020-2021,” UNICEF, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/media/8686/file/Education.pdf.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] “Why are Vietnam’s schools so good” The Economist, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/06/29/why-are-vietnams-schools-so-good.

[iv] “School Education System In Vietnam” Education destination Asia, accessed August 15, 2023, https://educationdestinationasia.com/essential-guide/vietnam/education-system-in-vietnam.

[v] “Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties – Vietnam” University of Minnesota, Human Rights Library, accessed August 14, 2023, http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/ratification-vietnam.html.

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Universal Periodic Review of Afghanistan

The following report has been drafted by Broken Chalk as a stakeholder contribution to the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review [UPR] for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. As Broken Chalk’s primary focus is to combat human rights violations within the educational sphere, the contents of this report and the following recommendations will focus on the Right to Education.

  • Four decades of sustained conflict have heavily affected Afghanistan’s educational landscape. Recurrent natural disasters, chronic poverty, drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the situation for Afghan children and have taken a toll on the fragile education system.[i]
  • The current Taliban policies governing education are enshrined in documents distributed to education officials across different levels within the movement.[ii] The Taliban education philosophy follows a unique mixture of Pashtun culture and Islamic law, highly prioritising religious education. However, the Taliban’s High Commission for Education also emphasises the need for “modern” education alongside religious teachings.[iii]
  • Although the overarching education policy acknowledges the need for secular subjects to be taught alongside religious ones in schools, these statements are directly followed by religiously motivated restrictions that imply that a series of topics included in the state curriculum should be eliminated and not taught (particularly about subjects such as history and biology).[iv]
  • The current practices and decisions on education established by the Taliban regime contradict national and international laws. Afghanistan’s Constitution (Articles 43-44), adopted in 2004, guaranteed equal access to education for boys and girls. The Education Law 2008 once again addressed equal rights for all children, free and compulsory education until ninth grade, and free education until attaining a Bachelor’s degree. At the international level, Afghanistan has ratified the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, Article 26 recognising the Right to Education) and other human rights treaties that reaffirm the Right to Education (i.e. CESCR Articles 13-14; CRC Articles 28-29; CEDAW Article 10).[v]
  • Gender inequality, poverty, and questionable legislation, combined with factors such as traditional gender norms and practices, a shortage of schools, insufficient transportation, and geographical barriers, have led to an estimated 3.7 million Afghan children being out of school, 60% being girls.[vi]

By Aurelia Bejenari

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References

[i] UNESCO. “Protecting Education in Afghanistan.” Unesco.org. February 2, 2023. https://www.unesco.org/en/emergencies/education/afghanistan.

[ii] Amiri, Rahmatullah, and Ashley Jackson. “Taliban Attitudes and Policies towards Education.” ODI Centre for the Study of Armed Groups: (February 2021): 13.  https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/taliban_attitudes_towards_education.pdf

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Amiri and Jackson, “Taliban Attitudes and Policies towards Education”, 19.

[v] Rezai, Hussain. “The Taliban Rule and the Radicalisation of Education in Afghanistan.” GlobalCampus of Human Rights – GCHR. November 24, 2022. https://gchumanrights.org/preparedness-children/article-detail/the-taliban-rule-and-the-radicalisation-of-education-in-afghanistan-4945.html.

[vi] UNICEF. “Afghanistan. Education.” Unicef.org. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/education.

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Universal Periodic Review of Yemen

  • The Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located southwest of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia. In Yemen, the academic year begins in September and ends in June, and the official primary school entrance age is 6. The system is structured so that the primary school cycle lasts six years, the lower secondary lasts three years, and the upper secondary lasts three years. Yemen has a total of 5,816,000 pupils enrolled in primary and secondary education. About 3,900,000 (67%) of these pupils are enrolled in primary education[i].
  • The percentage of out-of-school children in a country shows what proportion of children are not currently participating in the education system and who are, therefore, missing out on the benefits of school. In Yemen, 30% of primary school-aged children are out of school, and approximately 24% of boys of primary school age are out of school compared to 36% of girls of the same age. Nearly 70% of female youth of secondary school age are out of school compared to 38% of male children of the same age. For youth of secondary school age, the most significant disparity can be seen between the poorest and the wealthiest youth.[ii]
  • Yemen is facing a severe education crisis, with the number of children experiencing disruptions to their learning potentially reaching close to  6 million, leading to tremendous long-term consequences for children.[iii]

By Hassan Abusim

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References

[i] Muthanna, A. (2015). Quality education improvement: Yemen and the problem of the ‘brain drain’. Policy Futures in Education, 141-148.

[ii]World Bank, f. E. (2018). Yemen National Education Profile 2018 Update.

[iii]  Musalami, A. A. (2013). The education catastrophe in Yemen is a political struggle between the Congress and Islah, mismanagement and poor infrastructure. Yemen: Al Massa Press.

Cover image by Sallam on Flickr.

Universal Periodic Review of Cambodia

  • Today, the state controls education in Cambodia through the Ministry of Education at the national level and the Department of Education at the provincial level. The Cambodian education system includes preschool, primary, general secondary, tertiary, and vocational education.
  • After finishing primary school, students move on to three years of compulsory lower secondary education. Students then can continue to upper secondary education or enter secondary-level vocational training programs offered by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. After completing upper secondary education, students must take a national high school exam. In 2019, approximately 68% of students passed. Students who pass the exam can enrol in two-year associate degree programs, four-year bachelor’s degree programs and seven-year medical degree programs at the university. However, enrolment numbers into tertiary education are low, with only 13% of students entering the university system. All students also can enrol in vocational training programs or associate degrees.
  • In 2017, there were 7,144 primary schools nationwide and an additional ninety-six primary schools for disadvantaged students. In the same period, 46,149 staff members taught 2,022,061 primary school children. Primary education commonly starts at age six and lasts six years.
  • The Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), a World Bank-funded project, has significantly improved lower-secondary education in Cambodia. It has seen increased enrolment in schools, construction of more school buildings, construction of houses for teachers in remote locations, renovation of classrooms, and installation of laboratories.
  • SEIP has trained teachers, community representatives, and people in charge of the management of schools.
  • This review will focus on areas of improvement related to the standard of learning, water and sanitation, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and gender inequality.

By Ruth Lakica and Enes Gisi

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Universal Periodic Review of Malaysia

  • Broken Chalk is a non-profit NGO with one main goal to protect human rights in education. The organisation investigates and reports education rights violations worldwide while advocating and supporting human-rights-focused educational development. By submitting this report, Broken Chalk aims to contribute to the 45th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Malaysia with a focus on the education sector, encouraging the country to continue its improvement efforts and providing further insight into how to overcome current challenges and deficiencies regarding human rights in education.
  • This culturally diverse country has become an upper-middle-income country for the last two decades. Since 2010, it has grown at a 5.4% annual rate and was predicted to move from an upper middle-income economy to a high-income economy by 2024 [1]. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a substantial negative impact on Malaysia, mostly on vulnerable households. Following the revision of the official poverty line in July 2020, 5.6% of Malaysian households live in absolute poverty. The pandemic worsened issues affecting adolescents, children, and women in many ways. [2].

By Müge Çınar

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References

[1] World Bank. (2022, 11 29). Overview: The World Bank in Malaysia. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malaysia/overview#1
[2] UNICEF. (2022, December 1). Institutionalizing Social And Behavioural Change In Malaysia. from https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/reports/institutionalizing-social-and-behavioural-change-malaysia

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Universal Periodic Review of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation with one main goal – To protect human rights in education. The organisation started with a website and articles and is currently working on multiple projects, each aiming to fight human rights violations in the educational sphere. As the UPR is related to human rights violations, inequalities, human trafficking, and other violations, Broken Chalk prepares this article for the fourth Cycle and the specific country – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • In the last cycle, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received 258 recommendations and supported 182 recommendations in adopting its UPR outcome at Human Rights Council 40 in March 2019 (United Nations Human Rights Council, 2018). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has addressed many issues highlighted in the previous Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycles. Saudi Arabia has introduced an economic vision called Vision 2030, which involves educational reform, mandated by the Tatweer Project, focusing on projects such as enhancing schools’ teaching methods and strategies (Allmnakrah and Evers, 2019). Tatweer Project has trained more than 400,000 teachers in school management, educational supervision, computer science, and self-development (Arab News, 2017). It has also revised Saudi’s curriculum to keep pace with advanced international science curricula (Arab News, 2017). This report will provide an update on the previous issues related to education, plus recommendations on how to deal with new ones.

By Mayeda Tayyab

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Universal Periodic Review of Malta

  • Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation with one main goal – To protect human rights in education. The organisation started with a website and articles and is currently working on multiple projects, each aiming to fight human rights violations in the educational sphere. As the UPR is related to human rights violations, inequalities, human trafficking, and other violations, Broken Chalk prepares this article for the 45th session regarding Malta.
  • The principles, aims, objectives, and regulations of the education system in Malta are laid down in Education Acts Chapters 327 and 605 of the Laws of Malta and pegged to the Malta Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. State, Church and Independent schools provide education. It comprises childcare (for children 0-3 years old), two years of kindergarten (for 3-5-year-olds), 11 Years of compulsory education including six years of Primary school (mainly for 5-11-year-olds), a 2-year orientation cycle (middle school, for children aged 11-13) and a 3-year cycle of specialisation (secondary school, for children aged 13-16-year-olds), during which students pursue academic or vocational subjects.
  • Malta is committed to providing quality education for its population. However, like many countries, Malta faces educational challenges that impact the effectiveness and inclusivity of its education system. Recognising and addressing these challenges is crucial for fostering an equitable and high-quality education system that prepares students for the demands of the modern world.

By Asha Ouni

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Universal Periodic Review of Senegal

  • Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation with one main goal – To protect human rights in education. The organisation started with a website and articles and is currently working on multiple projects, each aiming to fight human rights violations in the educational sphere. As the UPR is related to human rights violations, inequalities, human trafficking, and other violations, Broken Chalk prepares this article for the fourth Cycle and the specific country – the Republic of Senegal.
  • This report will provide an update on the previous issues related to education, plus recommendations on how to deal with new ones.

By Camille Boblet-Ledoyen

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Universal Periodic Review of Central African Republic

  • This report drafted by Broken Chalk contributes to the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the Central African Republic. This report focuses exclusively on human rights issues in Central Africa Republic’s education field.
  • The Central African Republic, a landlocked country in the heart of Africa, stands among the world’s most impoverished nations. It grapples with a turbulent past marked by conflicts, instability, and mass displacement, which present significant obstacles to its peaceful progress. One of the pressing issues confronting the nation is the profound educational crisis it faces. Regarded as one of the most challenging environments for children to grow up in globally, the country is plagued by a critical problem of insufficient access to education that is both of high quality and safe.
  • Approximately two-thirds of children in the Central African Republic either do not attend school regularly or are deprived of educational opportunities.
  • In the previous UPR cycle, the Central African Republic was reviewed by UPR WG 31 in November 2018. It received 207 recommendations and supported 179 recommendations at the adoption of its UPR outcome at Human Rights Council 40 in March 2019 (an increase of 1% with respect to the 2nd cycle).
  • Supported recommendations relate to Legal and general framework of implementation, universal and cross-cutting issues, civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights (including rights to education), women’s rights, and rights of other vulnerable groups and persons.
  • This report first explores the main issues in the educational field in the Central African Republic, reflecting on the recommendations the country received in the 3rd cycle UN UPR review in 2018 and its progress since. Finally, Broken Chalk offers some suggestions to the Central African Republic on further improving its human rights in the educational field.
  • As per the letter by the High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs[], issues were raised explicitly for the right to education, which included making necessary measures to ensure universal and free access to education, particularly for the most marginalised and disadvantaged populations.
  • Making efforts to improve school infrastructure and seeking the assistance of international partners to that end; tackling the root causes of school dropout; and implementing a social transfer scheme for the poorest households to ensure equitable access to education.
  • Making education and the restoration of the education system a priority in the peace and reconciliation initiatives, taking practical and adequate measures to prevent the parties to the conflict from requisitioning schools, and ensuring that demobilised child soldiers have access to education.
  • Adopting an inclusive education policy, particularly for girls, children with disabilities and indigenous children, and sustainably restoring access to education, including internally displaced children, by implementing non-formal education programmes.

By Leticia Cox

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