Universal access to education
Universal access to education, often referred to as equitable access, is the principle that all individuals should have equal opportunities to receive free, quality education, regardless of their gender, socioeconomic status, or other personal circumstances. Recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations, this concept aims to dismantle barriers that prevent marginalized groups, such as girls, children with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds, from accessing educational opportunities.
Historically, the push for universal education gained momentum during the Industrial Revolution, when the need for a well-educated workforce became evident. Early educational systems primarily served wealthy families, but reform efforts in the 19th century led to the establishment of public education supported by government funding. The UN's "Education for All" initiative, launched in 1990, sought to address global disparities in education by setting ambitious goals to expand access and improve quality. Despite progress, significant challenges remain, with millions of children still out of school, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Efforts continue to ensure that all children have access to at least twelve years of free, quality education, with a focus on promoting gender parity and addressing the needs of disadvantaged populations. The commitment to achieving these educational goals reflects a broader recognition of the role that education plays in fostering social equity and individual empowerment.
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Universal access to education
Universal access to education, also known as equitable access, means that all individuals regardless of gender or social or economic status have equal access to free, quality education. The United Nations regards equitable access as a basic human right.
Universal access to education became an important issue when industrialization replaced agricultural lifestyles in the United States and Europe during the Industrial Revolution. A number of factors helped promote the idea of free education for all.
Background
Before the 1880s in the United States and England, access to education was largely limited to children of wealthy families. Children in poor families had little or no education. Children in families who could not afford to pay for school might learn to read and write a little at church schools.
The Industrial Revolution, which first began in Great Britain around 1760, made governments and industry aware of the need for education. The British government began funding education in 1833 when it provided funds to charities to educate children of all socioeconomic classes. That same year, the government passed laws mandating that children who worked in factories attend school at least two hours a day. The Public Schools Act of 1868 set basic educational standards, which led to reform of public education. At the same time, local and national governments were benefiting from booming industries. They were collecting taxes that could be used for public expenditures. Industry leaders wanted a better-educated workforce, and widespread public schooling was established at least in part to help fulfill the need, while at the same time, benefiting the general population.
The first public school in the American colonies that was supported by taxes was established in Dedham, Massachusetts, during the 1640s. Like other early schools, its primary purpose was to educate boys so they could learn the Bible. Other schools, many of which were established by settlers connected to a church, were funded through fees paid by families whose children attended them.
The Industrial Revolution reached the United States around 1820. Public education was more widespread in the rural Northeast and Midwest as society transitioned from being largely agricultural to industrial and urban. By 1870, all US states had free elementary schools. Teachers and students were under the control of local school boards, and no real standards for education were in place. Teachers were generally young unmarried women or men who taught for a few years before moving on to other professions. A number of states made school attendance compulsory, but it was not until 1918 that all states required students to complete elementary school.
Increased immigration from Europe beginning in the late nineteenth century led American community leaders to push for greater assimilation of new groups, and schools became an important part of the process. This concern intensified during World War I, when many immigrants in the United States were from nations at war with the country. This led to an increased effort to establish more high schools, which had previously offered liberal arts education. Instead, more vocational and diverse educations became standard in high schools. The four major high school tracks were college preparatory, commercial (office work), vocational, and general.
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The United Nations (UN) includes among its basic human rights full access to free, quality education for all children. The organization introduced a movement, Education for All, in 1990 at the World Conference on Education for All in Thailand. Those in attendance identified six primary goals:
- Expand early childhood care and education
- Provide free and compulsory primary education for all
- Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults
- Increase adult literacy by 50 percent
- Achieve gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015
- Improve the quality of education
Having missed some of these goals, in 2015, the UN adopted the Incheon Declaration. It includes a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Education 2030, a global education agenda. Education 2030 commits the UN to achieving inclusive and equitable quality education. It sets as its goal twelve years of free, quality primary and secondary education, including at least nine years of mandatory education. It also encourages free preschool and lifelong learning opportunities for all people.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as of January 2016, more than fifty-nine million primary school–aged children around the world were not receiving an education. More than half of these were living in sub-Saharan Africa, and 55 percent were girls. Among children who had attended school, many dropped out after just a few years.
Around the world, the largest percentage of children who were denied an education were girls, children with disabilities, the poorest children, and those from ethnic or linguistic minorities.
Although free primary education is compulsory in almost all countries around the world, this is not the case in practice. In many high-poverty regions and remote areas, school facilities are not available or adequate for the demand. The Gambia, for example, provides free compulsory education through grade nine (six years of lower basic school and three years of upper basic school). However, as of late 2016, the country had 368 lower basic schools and only 89 upper basic facilities. For students who qualify to attend senior secondary school (the equivalent of grades ten through twelve in US schools), the Gambia had just 55 facilities, according to Borgen Magazine. Despite the mandate that children go to school, many Gambian girls drop out after just a few years. Even a free education may be unattainable due to fees or lack of funds for supplies or uniforms. In Zimbabwe, primary education is mandatory and free, but UNICEF reports that education for the poorest children is impossible because families cannot afford the fees and development levies.
Gender parity is a concern in many impoverished areas. Girls make up only 35 percent of pupils in upper secondary education in Zimbabwe, and in the Gambia, just 64 percent of girls finish primary school. The UN has repeatedly stressed the importance of gender equity in education. It promotes programs to support girls to help them get an education and to encourage parents to keep their daughters in school.
Bibliography
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Distasio, Madeline. "10 Facts about Education in the Gambia." Borgen Magazine, 22 Nov. 2016, www.borgenmagazine.com/education-in-the-gambia/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
"Equitable Access." UNICEF, 27 Jan. 2016, www.unicef.org/education/bege‗61657.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
"A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education." UNICEF/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2007, www.unicef.org/publications/files/A‗Human‗Rights‗Based‗Approach‗to‗Education‗for‗All.pdf. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
"Incheon Declaration: Education 2030: Towards Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All." United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2015, unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002338/233813M.pdf. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
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Singer, Alan. "Welcome Back! A Brief History of Education in the United States (Part 1)." Huffington Post, 7 Sept. 2015, www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/welcome-back-a-brief-hist‗b‗8098916.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
"What Is the Human Right to Education?" National Economic & Social Rights Initiative, www.nesri.org/programs/what-is-the-human-right-to-education. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
"Zimbabwe: Basic Education and Gender Equality." UNICEF, www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/basic‗education.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.