The Privatisation in Education and Human Rights Project

Research, participation and change: multi-country experiences of using

innovative advocacy on privatisation in education

Trine Petersen - @trinevpetersen

The Privatisation in Education Research Initiative (PERI)

• A global research and networking initiative seeking to provide an accessible, open space to engage in informed and critical debates about privatisation in education.

• Examining the social justice implications of changes in the governance, provision and financing of education.

Key motivations behind PERI

• Little critical discourse on privatisation in the public domain – restricted to grey literature

• Polarised ideological debate

• Privatisation is a deeply complex issue and takes many forms and names

• Lack of a social justice/equity lens

• Lack of evidence base

• Lack of engaged debate

32 Research grants in Africa, Asia, Latin

America and Middle East and North Africa and publication of a

book

31 grants to organisation and

strategic partners for communications and

awareness raising, civil society mobilisation

and capacity building

2 summer schools on privatisation in

education and building a network of 1000

academics and practitioners

interested in the topic

7 documentaries on key themes and case

studies in privatisation in education

2010-2013

2014

• The goal of PERI is to develop the evidence base on specific areas of privatisation, strengthen a critical community of practice that supports the social justice analysis of privatisation, and support the application of informed critique to policy debates at national, regional and international levels.

Privatisation in Education and Human Rights Project

• Multi-country research and advocacy project on the impact of privatisation in education on the right to education.

• It critically examines the global development of privatisation in the light of human rights standards.

Morocco

• One-year empirical research on the impact of privatisation in education in urban areas in Morocco started in September 2012.

• The results of this research were used in parallel to conduct advocacy at the UN level with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The Review & Recommendations

• Private education is developing very quickly, especially at primary level without the necessary supervision regarding the conditions of enrolment and the quality of education provided, which has led to the reinforcement of inequalities in the enjoyment of the right to education as well as teachers increasingly engaging in private lessons in public schools and giving priority to the work they undertake in private schools.

— UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding Observations on the Third and Fourth Periodic Reports of Morocco, September 19th, 2014 (emphasis added)

• Sustained media interest in privatisation in education

• Ministry of Education and domestic starting to scrutinise and reform private education policies

Project Inception – Geneva June, 2014

• Develop a collective approach to research and advocacy in and of privatisation in education and its impact on the right to education (GCE, RTE, ASPBAE, ANCEFA, CLADE, EI, Results, national coalitions and litigation experts).

• Side event at the UN Human Rights Council and an expert meeting on privatisation.

• Formal engagement with the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education.

• In each country, we work with local partners to produce research and parallel reports to relevant UN or regional human rights bodies (CRC, CEDAW CESCR, UPR and Africa Commission).

• Two main goals:1) Research, mobilisation and advocacy to raise awareness

about the impact of privatisation in education at the national level

2) Develop a set of principles and jurisprudence at the international level to clarify States’ obligations with regards to privatisation in education.

1. Inception training, planning

2. Research and data

collection on private

education

3. Writing of the

parallel report

4. Presentation

of the parallel report to UN human rights

bodies

5. Use of UN

recommendations for

national advocacy/mobilisatio

n

6. Evaluation

and planning

to replicate

Specific Aims

• Reinforce capacities for partners;• Awareness raising amongst key constituencies;• Advocacy with international actors leading to new standards

in the area;• Developing an international set of principles;• Momentum is built through a more coordinated community

of practitioners working on privatisation; and• Methodology using international mechanisms advanced and

can be replicated. • Exploring the possibility and laying the ground for potential

future litigation around education rights.

Key Highlights So Far

Oct/14

• CRC formally ask the Ghanaian Government to explain itself on the growing privatisation in education in the country and the effect it has on the realisation of the right to education for all.

Oct/14

• In report to UNGA, Special Rapporteur on Right to Education warned the global rise and lack of regulation of privatization further deepens inequality in education.

Nov/14

• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) expressed its concerns “about the trend towards privatisation of education and the priority given to schooling of boys over girls” in Ghana.

Dec/14

• The CESCR raised issues on the impact of privatisation in education on the realisation of the right to education in Uganda

Key Highlights So Far

Nov/14

• 70 civil society organisations condemn the African Development Bank and other international organisations’ support to privatisation in education

Dec/14

• CESCR questions Chile on progress on providing free quality basic education and elimination of fees and selectivity

Feb/15

• Global Campaign for Education World Assembly motion on the role of the state regarding the role of private actors and providers

March/15

• CIES 2015 – Workshop on principles on the role of private actors in education

• Continue research and parallel reporting• Another side event an UN Human Rights

Council (June 2015) and launch of report by Global Campaign for Education and expected report by UNSR on regulation.

• Develop human rights based principles on private actors in education in the next 18 months

• Continue to build partnerships with civil society actors and researchers

Next Steps

• http://privatisationeducationhumanright.ning.com/

• http://www.periglobal.org/

• http://www.right-to-education.org/

• http://globalinitiative-escr.org/

Get Involved