Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Poland

Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO established in 2020 and focused on raising awareness and minimizing human rights violations in the educational field. Together with our international sponsors and partners, we encourage and support the following activities/projects: removing obstacles in education; contributing to the achievement of peace and tranquillity in society through adaptation studies in an environment of intercultural tolerance; preventing radicalism and polarization, and eliminating the opportunity gap in education for all.  Our goal is to work with global partners to remove barriers to access to education and take concrete steps to ensure universal access to education.

Issues related to human rights have recently become an increasingly popular subject of discussion among international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe (CoE), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The international community has developed a number of initiatives and has taken practical steps to specify the role and responsibility of individual actors in protecting and respecting human rights. Poland has been actively involved in the process of creating a new approach to this issue at both national and international levels.[1]

By Annemeike Van Der Meer & Xchina Cekani

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Poland

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[1] https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Business/NationalPlans/PolandNationalPland_BHR.pdf

Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Ecuador

This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ecuador. Broken Chalk is an organization that fights against violations of Human Rights and improving the quality of education around the globe. This report will discuss the main challenges Ecuador faces in regard to Education, what are some issues that could be improved through Education, and finally Broken Chalk will offer some recommendations for Ecuador in the field of Education based on the raised issues.

In the 2017 review, Ecuador received 182 recommendations and supported 162 recommendations relating to legal and general framework of implementation, universal and cross-cutting issues, civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, women’s rights, and rights of other vulnerable groups and persons.

Ecuador has stated that efforts to guarantee the widest coverage and highest possible quality of education at all levels has been intensified. In fact, between the years 2007 and 2017, net enrolment in basic education increased from 91.4% to 96.1%, and net enrolment rate in upper-secondary school increased from 51.2% to 70.8%. Regarding the gender gap, education for women has risen much faster than for males, therefore the gender gap in schooling has almost been closed. Despite this, there are still improvements to be made, especially in quality of education and accessibility.

By Alejandra Latinez

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Eucador

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Finland

Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO established in 2020 and is focused on raising awareness and minimising human rights violations in the educational field.

Together with our international sponsors and partners, we encourage and support the following activities/projects: removing obstacles in education; contributing to the achievement of peace and tranquillity in the society through adaptation studies in an environment of intercultural tolerance; preventing radicalism and polarisation; and eliminating the opportunity gap in education for all. Our goal is to work together with global partners to remove barriers to access to education and to take concrete steps to ensure universal access to education.

In this 4th Cycle Universal Periodic Review, Broken Chalk will be occupied with reviewing Finland’s challenges and improvements in the educational field. In the 3rd cycle, (September 2017) Finland received 153 recommendations and supported 120 (78% of acceptance).

By Maya Shaw

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Finland

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Morocco

Child domestics in Morocco face significant barriers to education before, during, and after working. Denial of the right to education leaves children without the skills and knowledge which they need to find good jobs, to participate fully in society, and to exercise their other rights. For child domestics, who frequently work in isolation, lack of education also means they miss its crucial role in socializing children and exposing them to potential sources of protection from workplace abuses.

By Ntchindi Chilongozi Theu

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41st_Session_UN_UPR_Country_Review_Morocco

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Bahrain

The right to education is a fundamental pillar of children’s rights. Achieving universal education, however, is a complex process that requires social policy to join with educational policy to develop strategies that bring about change. Bahrain is an island country located in western Asia, which, based on the projections of the latest United Nations data, has a population of about 1,773,831.

By Ntchindi Chilongozi Theu

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41st_Session_UN_UPR_Country_Review_Bahrain

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Brazil

This report has been drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Brazil. Since Broken Chalk is an organization aimed at fighting inequalities and improving the quality of Education worldwide, this report will focus on Education. The report brings attention to the main and most outstanding issues that Brazil faces regarding the Right to Education. The report will also track the progress of the promises made by Brazil during the last UPR. In light of the following views, Broken Chalk shall offer Brazil recommendations for the improvement of the educational field.

Drafted by Aniruddh Rajendran
Edited by Olga Ruiz Pilato

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Brazil

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: United Kingdom

Providing education is one of the most important functions of any government and while many countries’ educational systems face greater troubles than the UK’s, it is by no means without its flaws.

There are five stages that encompass the education system in the UK: early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE). Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16. Further Education is not compulsory and covers non-advanced education held at education colleges and HE institutions. The fifth stage, HE, is further study that takes place in universities and other Higher Education Institutions. This article will discuss some of the main problems the UK is facing including its two-tiered education system, major class divide and lack of resources and money in disadvantaged schools.

By Kate Ryan

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_UK

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: the Netherlands

The past five years since the Netherlands’ previous Universal Periodic Review (UPR) have seen developments in certain areas. There have been concrete actions to protect and fulfil the human right of everyone to education. Concurrently, however, evidence has been gathered of multiple violations of the right within the same timeframe. It is imperative for the Netherlands, as a human rights duty-bearer, to address the different forms of discrimination and marginalisation experienced by vulnerable groups, which hinder their access to education, as well as the multiple other challenges these groups face, whether the challenges are based on socio-economic grounds or otherwise.

Under national and international human rights law, the government of the Netherlands is under an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the right of every person to education, provide redress for the occurrence of such violations, and prevent them from happening.

By Farai Chikwanha

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Netherlands

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: South Africa

Broken Chalk is a non-profit organization with one main goal – To protect human rights in the world of education. The organization started with a website and articles and currently it is 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 – South Africa.

During the last cycle, the delegation put forward 243 recommendations, South Africa supported 187 of them, and the rest they noted.1 Section B31 is the one that stands out as it is related to “Equality & non-discrimination” and South Africa supported all of the recommendations given. Some of them are related to the protection of different minorities. Support and education on the LGBTQ communities and attempts on reducing discrimination in the country. The recommendations given in 2017 will help Broken Chalk evaluate the performance of the specific country. This report will give an update on the previous issues related to education, plus recommendations on how to deal with new ones.

By Ivan Evstatiev

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_South_Africa

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Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Philippines

Broken Chalk is a non-profit organization that addresses the respect and enforcement of the right to education. Therefore, it is concerned on how the Philippines has expanded the access to quality education on an equal level across all levels and age groups without discrimination since the conclusion of the Universal Periodic Review’s 3rd Cycle in late 2017. Nearly 24% of the statements made by the 95 delegations during the Working Group’s Interactive Dialogue on 18th July 2017 focused on education and other issues such as the gender gap, discrimination, and human trafficking which affect the access, outputs, and outcomes of education.(1)

From 257 recommendations that these delegations put forward, the Philippines accepted all those concerning education under paragraphs 133.219 – 133.225 of the Working Group’s Report in its Addendum.(2) Thus, the Philippines accepted to prioritise public education in its budgetary expenditure; increase net enrolment for girls in pre-primary and primary education; generate legislation that increases access to quality education for vulnerable learners; and ensure education remains compulsory and free. These serve as a baseline for Broken Chalk to highlight new and persistent issues that impact the right to education within the state and conclude whether they were satisfied by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) whilst calling for actions that address the current trends and issues in a holistic manner.

By Karl Baldacchino 

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41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Philippines

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