Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged African governments to accelerate their plans to guarantee free quality education from preschool through secondary education before the 2030 deadline. In a statement released on the African Union (AU)’s Day of the African Child, the human rights organization highlighted the alarming statistics of out-of-school children across the continent.
According to HRW, Africa is the region with the world’s highest out-of-school population, with an estimated 98 million children and older adolescents of primary and secondary school age being out of school in 2021. Additionally, the majority of pre-primary-age children are unable to access early childhood education, further exacerbating the educational crisis.
“Millions of African children are still waiting to get an education, while millions more are in school but not receiving the quality education their governments have pledged to provide,” said Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Dozens of African states have adopted educational standards that contradict their human rights obligations, compromising the quality of education available to African children.”
The 2024 theme for the Day of the African Child, “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now,” highlights the urgency of the situation. With deadlines to reach global and African education commitments fast approaching, HRW has called on African governments to focus on guaranteeing access to quality free education and removing legal, policy, and practice barriers that continue to deny education to millions of children, especially girls.
While some African states have taken important steps towards guaranteeing the right to education, such as Zambia implementing a free education policy and Sierra Leone adopting a new education law guaranteeing 13 years of free education, more needs to be done. Financial barriers and the lack of free education disproportionately impact children from the poorest households, who are often at higher risk of dropping out.
HRW has urged African governments to adopt stronger measures to advance free education, end the practice of charging extra-official tuition and enrollment fees, and tackle indirect costs such as school transportation. Additionally, the organization has emphasized the need for legal and policy frameworks to guarantee the right to early childhood education and ensure that lower and higher secondary education is free and available to all children across Africa.
The report also highlights the specific challenges faced by girls in accessing education, such as child marriage, school-related sexual violence, and discrimination against pregnant or parenting students. HRW has called on governments to urgently review their policies and adopt human rights-compliant measures to support girls’ right to education, including by promoting and guaranteeing adolescents’ sexual and reproductive rights and providing access to comprehensive sexuality education.
“The African Union and states’ common vision for Africa’s future through education is clear,” said Segun. “African governments should urgently follow through on their commitments to guarantee fully free, quality education in line with their human rights obligations by 2030.”
As the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals approaches, HRW’s call for urgent action serves as a reminder of the critical importance of addressing the educational crisis in Africa. Ensuring access to quality free education for all children, particularly girls, is not only a human rights obligation but also a crucial investment in the continent’s future.
