U.S. Training Material on the Right to Education

These 5 printable flyers were prepared by the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) for the Independent Commission on Public Education as part of a series of New York City, USA trainings held on the right to education. They are meant to guide activists who seek to enlarge their understanding of the meaning of educational rights, to explore strategies for advocating to protect those rights, and to expand the community of those participating in educational activism.

The flyers include:

1. The Right to Participation - defines the right to participation in education; describes strategies for fostering transparency and accessible mechanisms for participation. 2 pages; available in English and Spanish.
2. The Right to Education and A Safe School Environment - provides a chart detailing strategies for protecting rights in schools, as well as an action list for governments, based on the belief that "The right to education can only be met when students feel safe and able to express themselves in school. Human rights guarantee that school policies protect the child's right to human dignity and create an environment in which children can learn and develop to their fullest potential, without discrimination." 2 pages; available in English and Spanish.
3. New York City Children Have the Right to Education - sets out the components of a human right to education - The 4 A's: Education must be Available, Accessible, Acceptable and Adaptable for All - and delineates related government obligations. 2 pages; available in English and Spanish.
4. Human Rights Advocacy: How Can We Use Human Rights in the U.S.? - provides a chart illustrating the relationships between different kinds of human rights work, including monitoring and evaluation ("human rights witnesses" can document problems they see in their communities using strong and clear language, engage in protests and campaigns to pressure governments, and educate fellow members of the public about their rights and the tools they can use to claim them) and implementation and enforcement ("Community members are at the center of the human rights movement because of the right to participation and the right to non-discrimination. People have a right to be heard by the government and to have a voice equal to big business and government in community decisions..."). 2 pages; available in English.
5. Rights Chart - illustrates the relationships between civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; human rights; and cross-cutting human rights and government obligations. 1 page; available in English.

Click here to save or open any of the flyers - in English or Spanish where applicable - in PDF format.