Is education a right?

[Twilight Hue]

. .. but I cannot see a representative democracy surviving without creating a right to an education -- either in fact or in fact and in principle.

Yea. It's clear a free society won't do well without providing proper access to educational institutions.

 

[Mox]

Education is only needed if humans want to survive with all the technology we now have. Going back to some ideal uneducated mass controlled by literate clerics and powerful hereditary nobilities, merchant classes is the dream of many, but it would only end in a planet dying even quicker.

It would end in a global war that would send most of mankind back to the pre industrial age, with all sides using weapons of mass destruction. Since international law and multilateral agreement, would have almost completely broken down by then, in your scenario.

 

[Jumi]

It would end in a global war that would send most of mankind back to the pre industrial age, with all sides using weapons of mass destruction. Since international law and multilateral agreement, would have almost completely broken down by then, in your scenario.

The haves get complacent when all they rule over is ignorant masses. They may even start believing in their own bs and let things roll downhill as long as their own luxury isn't immediately threatened.

 

[ChristineM]

UN resolutions are non-binding.

That is unfortunately true, a cop out clause for countries who do not consider the rights of their citizens.

"The Universal Declaration is not a treaty, so it does not directly create legal obligations for countries. However, it is an expression of the fundamental values which are shared by all members of the international community."

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/what-universal-declaration-human-rights

Of course one would expect those who ratified the declaration to abide by their commitment

 

[Jumi]

The Finnish system is one of the best in the world because of this principle.

We have a decent system. It's becoming visibly worse though. The people who had it best are close to retirement, they probably have no idea of the realities but are the ones deciding to move money elsewhere.

 

[icehorse]

Hasn't America ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? article 26 .... Everyone has the right to education.

After I made my post, I recalled that education is in the UDHR. Hmmm. That's a section I'm not so fond of, especially considering that it allows for indoctrination by the parent. Well, overall I think it's a fine document, even if it has a few warts.

 

[ChristineM]

After I made my post, I recalled that education is in the UDHR. Hmmm. That's a section I'm not so fond of, especially considering that it allows for indoctrination by the parent. Well, overall I think it's a fine document, even if it has a few warts.

Warts..., 26:3 is the fly in the wart ointment.

 

[icehorse]

Warts..., 26:3 is the fly in the wart ointment.

Agreed! For everyone's info, 26.3 reads:

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

So for example, in the worst kinds of cases, radical madrasas are supported in teaching violent anti-semitism to 3 year old children.

 

[ChristineM]

Agreed! For everyone's info, 26.3 reads:



So for example, in the worst kinds of cases, radical madrasas are supported in teaching violent anti-semitism to 3 year old children.

Or god magic to american children

 

[Mister Emu]

A government cannot be "poor" otherwise its existence would be useless.

I agree, it would largely be useless. Nonetheless, it is possible for a government to exist and also be incapable of legitimately provisioning an education. In such a case people are not educated and you can't force them to be so, ergo there is no right to education. Only a heavy societal obligation to provide for it.

Too socialistic Europe...we know

My argument has nothing to do with socialism and I agree with your society and government in spending gratuitously on education.

It is a matter of principle and calling education a right either assents to slavery, the idea that I could force someone to educate myself or others, or it devalues a right from inviolable protections that you can demand of everyone to something we really really like.

 

[Milton Platt]

District Court Judge ruled that literacy is not a fundamental right.

https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2018/07/02/judge-dismisses-detroit-schools-literacy-lawsuit/

https://m.metrotimes.com/news-hits/...-students-have-no-right-to-access-to-literacy

Before the civil rights movement the segregated school system was described with the words “separate but equal”. Now in the U.S. there is still de facto segregation, but according to this ruling there is no legal requirement to make these schools equal. (not to imply they ever were equal)

There are schools in the United States with broken windows, leaking rooves, black mold, rats, lack of textbooks, no paper or pens. There are classrooms that are over 90 degrees in the summer and freezing in the winter. There are schools with contaminated drinking water. There are classes that even lack a teacher.

Compare these conditions to public schools in more affluent neighbourhoods and it is obviously there is no equality. And apparently no right to equal treatment.

The Judge who ruled that there was no right to literacy also said “when a child who could be taught to read goes untaught, the child suffers a lasting injury — and so does society.”. “But students enjoy no right to access to being taught literacy. All the state has to do is make sure schools run. If they are unable to educate their students, that's a shame, but court rulings have not established that "access to literacy" is "a fundamental right."

Shame sounds like a good word to describe the situation.

Rights are things granted by the government. So it is possible that the judge is technically correct. Having said that, it should be a right granted and guaranteed to all.
I have not seen such extremes in building maintenance as you suggest, but that may be the case in some areas. Where is this occurring? I have seen an instance o a school with broken windows because the children in the school were breaking them faster than they could be repaired.