Education

More than 100 million children are out of school worldwide. Discrimination of marginalized groups by teachers and other students, long distances to school, formal and informal school fees, and the absence of inclusive education are among the main causes. Millions stop going to school to work long hours, often under hazardous conditions. Others experience violence or abuse from teachers or fellow students, or find their schools targets of armed attack. Families do not send girls to school, force them out of school to marry or girls are denied an education when they become pregnant. Many are kept from getting a secondary education because they cannot afford school fees. Even when in school, millions of children receive a poor quality education that leaves them lacking essential skills and knowledge.

© 2013 Justin Purefoy for Human Rights Watch

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Sign our petition and call on the UK to Protect Schools and education around the world!

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Education for Syrian Refugee Children

The series "Preventing A Lost Generation" examines barriers to education for Syrian refugee children in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

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  • The War for Girls' Education

    The War for Girls' Education

    The war for girls' education in Afghanistan - 16 years after the US & allies toppled the Taliban and promised to get Afghan girls back into school, why are more than half of them still out of school?

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Call on the UK to Protect Schools

Call on the UK to Protect Schools

*GOOD NEWS: On April 20 the UK formally pledged to protect schools in wartime by joining the Safe Schools Declaration. 

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ALL children should have the right to a safe education. However, around the world, schools are attacked or being occupied by military forces and armed groups in conflict zones. This endangers the lives of students and teachers and hundreds of thousands of children are denied their right to education.

By endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson can support a global effort to better protect schools during times of war. The UK armed forces already have some of the world’s strongest policies protecting schools from attack and military use and can lead by example. It's time Britain joined 73 other countries and endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.

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