Rights from the start – Early childhood care and education

Rights from the Start is intended to highlight a truth that should be uncontroversial: that every person is entitled to the right to care and education from birth. However, the shocking fact remains that 200 million children do not receive these rights at all: the report examines government planning and budgets (including donor assistance) to show that many do not prioritise or even include early childhood in the education or national strategies. There are 1 billion children aged under eight years old in the world, more than 10% of the world’s population. The neglect of these children’s rights – and the consequent impact on their other rights, their opportunities and their societies – is too devastating to continue. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is urging governments around the world to take action to ensure the realisation of these rights – right from the start. The report was written on behalf of GCE by Vernor Muñoz, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, with contributions from Emeritus Professor Peter Moss of the University of London and Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova.