Speaking at the 2019 Social Forum of the Human Rights Council last week in Geneva, the Sri Lankan delegation highlighted the importance of education, a fundamental human right that lies at the core of the 2030 Development Agenda, in the promotion and protection of human rights of children and youth and the transformative power it entails.
At the multi stakeholder meeting which brought together Government representatives, intergovernmental organisations, civil society and the academia, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez said that all children and youth have an equal right to an education in a safe and secure setting irrespective of gender, family income levels, religion, ethnicity, or geographical location. A hate-free atmosphere that inculcates in children and youth the value of exclusivity and diversity is a crucial element in education that helps build lasting peace and contributes to the strengthening of the social fabric, he said.
Empowering children and youth through access to quality education and ensuring that no child is left behind, is key to achieving sustainable development goals, stressed Ambassador Azeez. He shared Sri Lanka’s experiences in providing education to all and its commitment to promote and protect the right to education for all its citizens as enshrined in laws and regulations.
He added that in order to ensure the special education needs of children with disabilities, 714 schools provide special education through designated units in government schools for disabled children and a special scheme of university admissions for persons with disabilities also exists.
“Such measures have resulted in a remarkable rise in social indicators in Sri Lanka in recent years, such as high enrollment rates in education, reduction of school drop-outs and universal primary education reaching 99.7% in 2014,” Ambassador Azeez said.