INEE Thematic Issue Brief: Human Rights

However, it may be necessary to prioritise in the early stages of an emergency and recognise the need for a progressive realisation of rights, since challenges to secure rights do grow in emergencies and the risks of their violation multiply. It is equally important to remember how emergencies create ruptures that may also help to further embed a long-term culture of rule of law. Emergencies, for all their adversity, may thus also serve as windows of opportunity.

Education offers protection and structure in times of instability, aiding children and those most vulnerable to retain a normal life and build the best foundations for a better future. Education is not only about access, but also about quality, for if children do not learn anything, then enrolment rates have little meaning. The key provision is nondiscrimination and access to basic education, which must be fulfilled at all times. Other parts of education, such as secondary and tertiary education, may be subject to a more progressive realisation.