The United Nations (UN) has launched a call for information to influence a new international treaty on children’s rights to education from early childhood through to the end of secondary education.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted in 1989, guarantees all children free primary education but does not mention early childhood education, nor does it require governments to make secondary education free for all. To try to address this, over 50 countries are working to draft a new ‘optional protocol’ to update the UNCRC. This proposed treaty aims to explicitly recognise the right to early childhood care and education, make public pre-primary education free for all, and ensure free public secondary education.
The drafting will begin in September 2025, and for the first time children will be involved in developing the new law.
The UN is requesting input on key areas from policy-makers, academics, civil society organisations and others. These areas include barriers to accessing quality pre-primary and secondary education, the impact of a lack of free education at these levels on marginalised and vulnerable children, and examples of innovative financial mechanisms to support free pre-primary and secondary education.
Expertise and perspectives are requested at both country and global level. Submissions of a maximum of five pages are due by 18 May 2025.
The call for submissions is available on the UN website. More information is also available in a UNESCO blog post.