UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Affirms EELC Joint Submissions

Equal Education (EE) and the EELC recently made a joint submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) , in which they outlined South Africa’s economic, social and cultural advances on the right to basic quality education for all. Read more below on our partners’ joint submission to the UN (taken from the EELC’s recent newsletter):

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Affirms EELC Joint Submissions

The EELC and EE made joint submissions to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on South Africa’s track record on the right to education. In its Concluding Observations, the Committee has made recommendations to the South African government in line with EE and EELC’s submissions. Amongst others, the UN Committee has recommended that South Africa intensify its efforts to improve school infrastructure, review the requirements for fee exemptions, improve the regulatory framework for private actors in education, guarantee high quality early education for all children, and ensure access to education for learners with disabilities.

Significantly, the Committee has also recommended that South Africa withdraw its declaration in relation to the right to basic education, so as to ensure that the government’s commitment is in line with the Constitution.

EELC welcomes the Committee's recommendations which the South African government must consider seriously. Read our submission HERE; an op-ed by EE and the EELC HERE; and the UN Committee's concluding observations HERE.