Universal-MigrationHRlaw-PG-no-6-Publications-PractitionersGuide-2014-eng

258 | PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 6
is capable of undermining or even destroying the capacity of the child
to benefit from educational opportunities.” 1073 The CRC, the CESCR, the
CERD and the CMW have established that the non-discrimination requirement
also applies to refugees, asylum-seekers, and regular and
“illegal” migrants. 1074
Under the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, the
State Parties undertake to “give foreign nationals resident within their
territory the same access to education as that given to their own nationals.”
1075 This obligation is contained in Article 3, which enshrines
obligations of immediate effect.
The CESCR has been clear that “education must be accessible to all,
especially the most vulnerable groups, in law and fact, without discrimination”.
1076 In particular, “the principle of non-discrimination extends
to all persons of school age residing in the territory of a State Party,
including non-nationals, and irrespective of their legal status.” 1077 The
1073 General Comment No. 1, Aims of Education, CRC, UN Doc. CRC/GC/2001/1, 17 April 2001,
para. 10.
1074 See, CRC, General Comment No. 6, op. cit., fn. 138, paras. 12 and 18. See also, Concluding
Observations on Czech Republic, CRC, Report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on its
32 nd Session, UN Doc. CRC/C/124, 23 June 2003, p. 178, para. 376(a); Concluding Observations
on Kazakhstan, CRC, Report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on its 33 rd Session,
UN Doc. CRC/C/132, 23 October 2003, p. 129, para. 643(a); Concluding Observations
on Luxembourg, CRC, UN Doc. CRC/C/15/Add.250, 31 March 2005, paras. 50–51; Concluding
Observations on Uzbekistan, CRC, UN Doc. CRC/C/UZB/CO/2, 2 June 2006, paras. 57–58;
Concluding Observations on Jordan, CRC, UN Doc. CRC/C/JOR/CO/3, 29 September 2006,
paras. 81–82; Concluding Observations on Qatar, CRC, UN Doc. CRC/C/QAT/CO/2, 14 October
2009, paras. 60–61. Concluding Observations on United Kingdom, CESCR, Report of the Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the UN Economic and Social Council, UN Doc.
E/1995/22 (1995), p. 52, para. 291; Concluding Observations on Canada, CESCR, Report of
the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the UN Economic and Social Council,
UN Doc. E/1999/22 (1999), p. 63, para. 414 (equality in education loan programmes);
Concluding Observations on China, CESCR, op. cit., fn. 10414, paras. 66, 89, 101, 116, 126;
Concluding Observations on Norway, CESCR, op. cit., fn. 980, paras. 22 and 43; Concluding
Observations on Macedonia, CESCR, UN Doc. E/C.12/MKD/CO/1, 24 November 2006, para. 48
(no separate schools); Concluding Observations on Cyprus, CESCR, op. cit., fn. 784, para. 25
(obligation to report contact details of parents of foreign children enrolling in schools is direct
and indirect discrimination in right of education); Concluding Observations on Canada, CERD,
Report of the Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination to the General Assembly,
57 th Session, UN Doc. A/57/18 (2002), p. 56, para. 337; Concluding Observations on Norway,
CERD, op. cit., fn. 1018, para. 22; Concluding Observations on New Zealand, CERD, UN Doc.
CERD/C/NZL/CO/17, 15 August 2007, para. 23; Concluding Observations on Germany, CERD,
UN Doc. CERD/C/DEU/CO/18, 21 August 2008, para. 22; Concluding Observations on Egypt,
CMW, UN Doc. CMW/C/EGY/CO/1, 25 May 2007, paras. 36–37; Concluding Observations on
Ecuador, CMW, op. cit., fn. 502, paras. 35–36 (indirect discrimination due to obstacles in registration
at birth).
1075 Article 3(e), UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, adopted on
14 December 1960. See also, World Declaration on Education for All and Framework for
Action To Meet Basic Learning Needs, UNESCO, adopted 5–9 March 1990, in particular
Articles I, II, and III.
1076 CESCR, General Comment No. 13, op. cit., fn. 785, para. 6(b).
1077 Ibid., para. 34.