A/HRC/20/21
with articles 13 and 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights regarding the right to education.25
30.
In the outcome document of the high-level meeting to review the progress of the
Millennium Development Goals, States explicitly commit to ensuring quality in education,
by providing equitable educational and learning opportunities for all children and ensuring
quality education and progression through the school system.26
31.
Similarly, the ministers participating in the High-Level Segment of the Economic
and Social Council in 2011 recognized that “providing quality education for children, youth
and adults helps to develop the knowledge and skills that people and countries need to
flourish, and that additional measures are required to improve the quality of education and
to ensure positive learning outcomes for all.” 27
V. International initiatives to promote quality in education
32.
A number of United Nations specialized agencies have developed indicators and
benchmarks to measure and promote quality in education. UNICEF developed a framework
for rights-based, child-friendly educational systems and schools to help fulfil the rights of
children and provide them with an education of good quality. 28
33.
In 2002, the Global Partnership for Education, comprised of donors and developing
countries, was launched as the Education For All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) to ensure
accelerated progress towards universal primary education by 2015 and other EFA goals.
The initiative proposes indicative international standards, such as an average pupil-teacher
ratio of 40:1; annual instruction time of 850-1,000 hours and an average teacher salary of
3.5 x GDP per capita.29
34.
A comprehensive approach to quality education is reflected in the Memorandum on
quality education and the Framework for Action adopted by the 54th Ministerial session of
the Conference of Ministers of French-speaking countries (CONFEMEN) in 2010. The
Memorandum emphasizes education as a social programme, construes “quality” around key
principles for making education systems better performing and focuses on the following
elements: curriculum, educational material, teaching personnel, national languages,
decentralization, resource mobilization, partnerships and evaluation. 30
35.
The Council of Europe is currently developing a recommendation on the right to
quality education for adoption by the Council of Ministers. This new instrument can enrich
existing regional and national norms and principles in the field of education. Also, the
European Commission has developed 16 quality indicators relating to education to assist
25
26
27
28
29
30
Meeting organized in cooperation with UNESCO in follow-up to the Committee‟s day of general
discussion on the right to education (articles 13 and 14 of the Covenant) and to the World Education
Forum, (2000) (E/2003/22 - E/C.12/2002/13) pp. 75-84.
“Keeping the promise: United to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” adopted by the
General Assembly in resolution 65/1 of 16 September 2010, para. 71.
Ministerial declaration of the 2011 High-Level Segment of the substantive session of the Economic
and Social Council, “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to
education,” para. 9.
See http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7260.html.
Education for All – Fast Track Initiative Framework: Accelerating progress towards quality universal
primary education (Washington, D.C., 2004), annex 1.
See Mémorandum sur la qualité de l‟éducation, Actes de la 54e session ministérielle de CONFEMEN,
Dakar, Novembre 2010.
9
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