Universal Periodic Review of Luxembourg

  • This report has been drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the 4th cycle, 43rd session of the Universal Periodic Review [UPR]. Since Broken Chalk is an organization aimed at fighting inequalities and improving the quality of Education worldwide, this report will focus on Education.
  • First, the report brings attention to the main issues in which Luxembourg could improve in regard to the Right to Education. Secondly, the report individuates some topics that could be tackled through Education. In doing so, Broken Chalk will commend Luxembourg for the efforts made and actions taken to improve Education and to use Education to bring awareness to other human rights topics. Lastly, in view of the points raised, Broken Chalk would like to offer a few recommendations to Luxembourg to continue improving in the field of Education.
  • In the last review of Luxembourg of 2018, the state received 149 recommendations, 7% of which were linked to the 4th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)[i], namely ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
  • Luxembourg has stated that it believes the indivisibility of human rights to be a core principle, underlining that economic, social and cultural rights – among which there is the right to Education – are pivotal in guaranteeing the well-being of all. Luxembourg further expresses its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.[ii]

[i] United Nations Human Rights Council. (2018, January). Universal Periodic Review – Luxembourg, Infographic

[ii] Luxembourg. (2017, November 13). National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21 – Luxembourg, para. 3

by Francisca Orrego Galarce

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Universal Periodic Review of Israel

The Israeli education system

  • The 1949 Compulsory Education Act was the first official legal action taken in Israel to enforce compulsory education, ensuring free school attendance for children, for 9 years, from age 5. In 2009, compulsory education was extended until grade 12, and in 2016 compulsory school enrolment was lowered to age 3.
  • State-funded Israeli general education works along a four-stream system, which provides secular, religious, and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) educational institutions for Jewish Israelis. There are Arabic schools for the Arab, Bedouin, Christian Arab, and Druze Israeli minorities.
  • Hebrew-speaking schools are managed by Jewish principals while schools teaching in Arabic are coordinated by Arab principals. However, all principals are subjugated to a centralised Israeli administration, funding, and curriculum which ensures similar requirements and teacher-salaries.
  • Despite compulsory education starting at age 3, 47% of children are already enrolled in an educational institution before age 2. 99% of children between 3 and 5 was enrolled in an educational institution in 2019. 
  • It is commendable that more than half of the population, between 25 and 64 years-old, held tertiary attainment in 2019.
  • Broken Chalk is pleased to note that Israel spends 6.7% of its GDP on education which is above the 4.9% OECD average.
  • Between 2003 and 2017 dropout rates have fallen from 9.9% to 7.6% which is particularly remarkable since it ‘occurred primarily among the weakest students in the system’.
  • Despite all the investments and successes, the Israeli educational sector does show severe issues. Problems in the system are often related to the inequalities of the four-stream educational system, socioeconomic inequalities, and discrimination based on ethnicity.
  • For instance, Israel has one of the highest gaps in achievement, based on the best and worst performing students in PISA, among OECD countries.
  • Furthermore, enrolment numbers decline as studies proceed: enrolment amounted to 96.5% between age 6 to 14, while it was of 66.1% between age 15 to 19, in 2019.
  • As Israel has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC] in 2005, the state must commit to carry out its duties and obligations which include the insurance of free compulsory education and equal opportunity for all children. Thus, Broken Chalk urges Israel to address all issues which prevent the realisation of the rights enshrined in the CRC. 

Overview of the previous UN UPR cycle

  • In its national report prepared for the 2018 UN UPR, Israel particularly emphasized its efforts to ensure human rights in its territories, including access to education. Israel promised to work for closing educational gaps, and for the integration of minorities into the Israeli society, also through education. Efforts are reflected in the Resolution project from 2014-2017 targeting Druze communities to improve their education, and in the efforts to provide state funded higher education for the Arab communities through the CHE academic colleges.
  • Israel took further steps in expanding the number of years spent in education by lowering the obligatory school entrance age to age 3 and expanding after-school day-care services in 2017.
  • In the previous UPR cycle, Israel received 5 recommendations regarding the right to education, focusing on narrowing the inequality gap among different ethnicities. Israel supported 3 of these recommendations, however it rejected 2 which regarded the issues existing in Area C of the occupied territories in West Bank (see section IV.).

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Universal Periodic Review of United Arab Emirates

  • This report is a contribution by Brokenchalk to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO established in 2020 and focused on raising awareness and minimizing human rights violations in the educational field. 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. Therefore, this report will focus on human rights violations in regards to education in the UAE. 
  • In the third session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the UAE accepted 100 recommendations from the Council in full, partially accepted 7 recommendations and took note of 54 recommendations. In regards to education, recommendations referred to the explicit prohibition of child violence in schools (Estonia) and in all settings (Montenegro), non-discrimination and advancement of equal opportunities in schools  , mandatory and free primary education for all children on the territory (Peru) and the promotion of human rights through the curricula in schools (Egypt). There were 4 other recommendations, which referred to the issue of providing “better services to persons with disabilities, in particular in education” (Singapore).    
  • Since the last cycle, the UAE has undergone ambitious educational developments and reforms under the 2017-2021 education strategy, Vision 2021. The plan has prioritized six main objectives: a safe society, a fair judicial system, a sustainable environment, an integrated infrastructure, and a shift towards a knowledge-based economy, assisted by the creation of a first-rate education system. 
  • The Ministry of Education has prioritized the development of the highest global educational standards for students and teachers, based on innovation and competitiveness. In line with this, the UAE Vision 2021 states that the new National Agenda aims to “promote an inclusive environment that integrates all segments of society while preserving the UAE’s unique culture […]”.  
  • This report will signal the major issue areas regarding the protection of human rights in education and it will furthermore acknowledge the attempts to promote human rights regarding education. Lastly, it will provide the appropriate comments and recommendations. 

by Bianca Balea

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Universal Periodic Review of Montenegro

  • Montenegro’s roughly 620 thousand population has somewhat multicultural assets with approximately 20 to 30 thousand Roma people and a significant Egyptian and Askhaeli community. 
  • As the 2018 Civil Rights Defenders’ report highlights, there is a systematic discrimination against minority groups in Montenegro which affects all aspects of their lives. This is reflected in high unemployment rates, low enrolment rates in educational institutions, and poor living conditions. 
  • Roma and Egyptian children are disadvantaged in the education system, and their attendance rate and enrolment rates in educational institutions reflects this. For instance, only 190 Roma children were attending in preschool in 2017, although it is an improvement compared to the previous year where 103 was enrolled in preschool. 
  • The high primary school drop-out rate of 11% among Roma and Egyptian children further demonstrates the seriousness of the issue, as only 49% of Roma children enrol in secondary education.
  • According to the National Platform on Roma Integration Montenegro report in 2018, the country was recommended to work more on the inclusiveness of Roma people in education and to enhance their social and academic chances to achievement. 1860 Roma children were enrolled in primary school in 2018, while their number was only 1622 in 2017 which shows positive patterns in terms of enrolment. As for secondary school, their number reached 142 in 2018, which also shows improvements compared to the 112 students who were enrolled in 2017. However, only 27 Roma students studied at the university level in 2018.
  • It is also common, that children from lower socioeconomic background have difficulties in accessing education and are more likely to drop out of school. Socioeconomic status also often collides with ethnicity, meaning that many Roma and Egyptian children have difficulties in accessing educational facilities and institutions. They often cannot afford to buy the necessary equipment for school, neither can they pay for transportation, while children having to help parents to make ends meet is not uncommon either.
  • To increase the number of enrolled students and to reduce dropout rates, it is important to support families and communities coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Providing free transportation to school and mediators, especially for Roma and Egyptian children, can have a significantly positive impact on enrolment rates.
  • Broken Chalk welcomes the government’s efforts in taking measures to provide scholarships and mentoring programs to children from low socioeconomic background to enhance their enrolment rate in schools and universities. 
  • Child labour in Montenegro is also a serious issue. Children are frequently forced to beg on the streets or are subject to sexual exploitation and all forms of human trafficking. 
  • Montenegro has taken some steps to combat this issue, such as introducing a new labour law that regulates the working conditions of minors. The government has also increased the budget allocated for labour inspections to investigate the working conditions of minors. However, the research found that programs directed to stop children’s work on the streets like forced begging are not effective. The state did take some steps to deal with victims of trafficking, such as establishing an identification team for victims and an operational team that helps to tackle human trafficking. 
  • Despite all efforts, there is still a lot to improve, particularly regarding the legal system which would need special legal advisors who are equipped with the necessary skills to deal with human trafficking cases, especially when they involve minors.
  • Another crucial issue to address is corporal punishment against children in schools and in households in Montenegro. While laws and regulations prohibit such practices in all settings, it is still not entirely eliminated. To ensure the safety and rights of children, Montenegro adopted changes in schools, primary health care, and social services in this regard, especially after research showed that the suicide rates and drug abuse are higher among those who experienced physical abuse during their childhood.

By Noor Mousa

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Universal Periodic Review of Ghana

Ghana’s educational system is structurally and underdeveloped. There is widespread violence and discrimination and overall violations of human rights. It must address the educational challenges it faces. Its many challenges and obstacles in education that need to be addressed and dealt with in terms of finance, structure, administration, and management, combating wrongful actions committed against students, the presence of discrimination, violence, and lack of rights. This summary review will outline the country’s performance since the last 3d cycle recommendations.

By Noor Mousa

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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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[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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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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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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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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