The Right to Education and Human Rights Education in International Context

Abstract

The basis of the right to education is the universal aspiration of living in a world without fear and where all people can fully enjoy their freedom. The right to education is the embodiment of all human rights, being the key that enables the exercise of all other rights, both civil and political (freedom rights) as well as social, economic and cultural (equality rights). In the context of poverty and social polarization in which Latin America is inserted, the aspiration of a free and compulsory education, aimed to promote peace and understanding among individuals and nations, and where parents can exercise their right to choose the kind of education they wish their children to receive, this right is more important than ever. The right to education stands on three fundamental principles: equal dignity for all human beings, non-discrimination, and democratic participation. This present article states what every student is entitled for within the educational system and closes with the role that the State and the national and international community play in order to make this fundamental human right a requirable one.