5 / 5 ( 2 votes )

The fundamental resource for the prime development of both individuals and societies is the provision of education. It is not only a right of a citizen to attain minimum level of education but is also a duty of the government to make education available to its citizen. The elucidation of key dimensions of the right to education helps us address the cardinal requirement of free and compulsory education. Varying from country-to-country, compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is implemented by the government of the respective nations. The multi-lateral treaty of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the United Nations, requires the imposition of compulsory education free of charge for all, within a number of years.

From a historical perspective, trends can be seen towards a great expansion in the rate of education, over the last two centuries. The global literacy rates have been on a rise, due to the increasing rates of enrolment in primary education. Additionally, the secondary and tertiary education has also been relatively improving. Despite the crisis-driven education acceleration in the 1990s, the millennium saw a step towards improvements, while a few regions still fronted challenges.

The production of education patterns across the globe show that schools are largely financed through public resources and revolve around funding. The domestic and international levels being discretionary in nature are separated by an abyss. Certain nations have effective constitutional provisions guaranteeing primary education whereas others lack the sources. Estimates depict that a few nations have also been successful in rendering free secondary education to its citizens. This difference in national expenditures on education sector is reflected in the level of per capita income and economic development of that nation.

The international key treaties throw light on the global importance laid on education, as an essential right for quality living. The Universal Deceleration on Human Rights (1948), states that the education shall be free, at-least in the elementary and fundamental stages, and elementary education should be made mandatory. The UNESCO Convention against discrimination in education (1960), mentions the state parties to this convention undertake to formulate, develop and apply a national policy which will promote equality of opportunity and treatment to make primary education free and compulsory. The ICESCR (1996), The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), confirms that the state parties recognize the right of the child to education and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, in particular to making primary education compulsory and available free for all.

Due to the efforts made by the countries collectively, a transition has been witnessed in the education rates. In 1820, four out of five people had not received formal education, this has substantially improved to one out of five individuals deprived of education, in the past century. Whereas the developing countries still confront the challenge of education attainment at primary levels. The net enrolment rates have risen but is not reflected in the attendance rates. This shows that the children have been officially enrolled but do not attend schools. This is evidently prevalent in the low and middle-income countries of Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa- Niger, Chad and Liberia depict less than half of the school-aged children attend primary school.

Countries like Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Tonga, have the highest number of compulsory education years, declared as 15 years. Ratifying to all UN human rights treaties without reservations, Dominican Republic guarantees free and compulsory education to its inhabitants. In addition to these terms, the country of Ecuador has also ratified to all the regional treaties and guarantees free, compulsory and all-encompassing education.

Countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos and Madagascar have the lowest compulsory education years designated as only 5 years. Bangladesh, although has ratified to all UN human rights treaties, promises to progressively introduce free and compulsory education.

Below lying table shows the countries and the guaranteed years of compulsory education:

Country Compulsory Education (years) (2016) Dominican Republic 15 Ecuador 15 Tonga 15 Argentina 14 Bolivia 14 Brazil 14 Curaçao 14 Mexico 14 Nauru 14 Peru 14 Sint Maarten 14 Uruguay 14 Venezuela 14 Aruba 13 Austria 13 Bermuda 13 Chile 13 Costa Rica 13 Hungary 13 Israel 13 Marshall Islands 13 Netherlands Antilles 13 Paraguay 13 Philippines 13 Puerto Rico 13 Macedonia 13 Turks and Caicos Islands 13 United States of America 13 Anguilla 12 Armenia 12 Bahamas 12 Belgium 12 British Virgin Islands 12 Cayman Islands 12 Dominica 12 Egypt 12 El Salvador 12 Germany 12 Grenada 12 Honduras 12 Italy 12 Kenya 12 Luxembourg 12 Mongolia 12 Montserrat 12 Netherlands 12 Pakistan 12 Palau 12 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12 Switzerland 12 Turkey 12 Turkmenistan 12 Uzbekistan 12 Antigua and Barbuda 11 Barbados 11 Bulgaria 11 Cook Islands 11 North Korea 11 Ghana 11 Latvia 11 Malta 11 Mauritius 11 Monaco 11 Niue 11 Panama 11 Russia 11 Senegal 11 Sri Lanka 11 Tokelau 11 Ukraine 11 United Kingdom 11 Albania 10 Algeria 10 Andorra 10 Australia 10 Azerbaijan 10 Burkina Faso 10 Canada 10 Cabo Verde 10 Central African Republic 10 Chad 10 Macao 10 Colombia 10 Congo 10 Côte d’Ivoire 10 Cyprus 10 Denmark 10 Djibouti 10 Finland 10 France 10 Gabon 10 Gibraltar 10 Greenland 10 Guatemala 10 Iceland 10 Ireland 10 Jordan 10 Kyrgyzstan 10 Lebanon 10 New Zealand 10 Norway 10 Palestine 10 Romania 10 Saint Lucia 10 San Marino 10 Seychelles 10 Slovakia 10 Spain 10 Togo 10 Vietnam 10 Afghanistan 9 Bahrain 9 Belarus 9 Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 Brunei Darussalam 9 China 9 Hong Kong 9 Cuba 9 Czech 9 Estonia 9 Faeroe Islands 9 Gambia 9 Georgia 9 Greece 9 Guinea-Bissau 9 Indonesia 9 Japan 9 Kazakhstan 9 Kiribati 9 Kuwait 9 Libya 9 Liechtenstein 9 Lithuania 9 Mali 9 Mauritania 9 Montenegro 9 Morocco 9 Nigeria 9 Poland 9 Portugal 9 Qatar 9 South Korea 9 Moldova 9 Saudi Arabia 9 Sierra Leone 9 Slovenia 9 South Africa 9 Sweden 9 Syria 9 Tajikistan 9 Thailand 9 Timor-Leste 9 Tunisia 9 Yemen 9 Belize 8 Croatia 8 Eritrea 8 Ethiopia 8 India 8 Iran 8 Malawi 8 Samoa 8 Serbia 8 South Sudan 8 Sudan 8 Tuvalu 8 Eswatini 7 Lesotho 7 Namibia 7 Nicaragua 7 Uganda 7 Tanzania 7 Zambia 7 Zimbabwe 7 Angola 6 Benin 6 Cameroon 6 Comoros 6 Democratic Republic of the Congo 6 Equatorial Guinea 6 Guinea 6 Guyana 6 Haiti 6 Iraq 6 Jamaica 6 Liberia 6 Malaysia 6 Rwanda 6 Sao Tome and Principe 6 Singapore 6 Suriname 6 Trinidad and Tobago 6 United Arab Emirates 6 Bangladesh 5 Laos 5 Madagascar 5 Myanmar 5

Know more:

Related maps: