The submission is in the framework of the upcoming the UK’s review on the compliance of its human rights obligations, focused on international development cooperation in education.         

GI-ESCR and nine partner organisations delivered a joint submission to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding the upcoming review of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) on the compliance of its human rights obligations, focused on the international development cooperation in education.   

Aligned with advocacy efforts towards U.N. treaty bodies to continuously strengthen public education and human rights standards, as well as address crucial issues affecting the right to education, such as the commercialisation and commodification of educational services, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) joined partners to submit a brief to the CESCR's pre-sessional Working Group.  

The submission drew from a recent joint submission prepared by CSOs for the UK Parliamentary International Development Committee, which highlighted the consequences of funding, directly and indirectly, commercial and for-profit schools, such as Bridge International Academies (also known by the name of its parent company, New Globe Schools).  

It focused on the UK's international development cooperation in the area of education. It prolongs the work that GI-ESCR has been doing for years with other CSOs to raise awareness of the negative impact of for-profit schools on the achievement of the right to quality, inclusive education for all, in particular the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.  

The submission highlighted applicable international human rights frameworks, including the Abidjan Principles, as well as the growing consensus that public development assistance should not support the for-profit provision of education.  It also mentioned the concerns about UK’s corporate taxes policies and their impacts on the right to education.