Call for member inputs: children’s right to education

Date: 7th July 2026
Category: Education, including vocational education, Childcare, UNCRC Optional Protocols and General Comments

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We are looking for members to help shape our response about a proposed new UN agreement on children’s right to education.

What’s happening?

The UN is developing a new ‘Optional Protocol’ to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This will focus on the right to education.

Optional Protocols are often added to international human rights treaties. They set out extra provisions that were written after the original treaty was agreed. They are ‘optional’ because each country can decide whether it wants to sign up to the protocol.

The UNCRC currently has three optional protocols, of which the UK has signed up to two.

• Find out more about the UNCRC optional protocols here.

What will the new Optional Protocol be about?

The aim of the proposals is to make it clear that children’s right to education should cover more than just primary school. Currently, the UNCRC recognises the right to free and compulsory primary education, but does not explicitly extend this right to pre-primary or secondary education.

The new protocol would have three aims: 

1. To explicitly recognise a right to early childhood care and education;
2. To guarantee every child free public pre-primary education, beginning with at least one year; and
3. To guarantee every child free public secondary education

How can members take part?

On 7th July, the UN published a call for views on the Draft Principles for the protocol. This sets out ideas about the need for the new agreement and about what it might include.

Together is collating members' views to inform our response. We are looking for members views and feedback on:

• What has been included (or is missing) from the Draft Principles
• Any ways that the proposals could be made clearer or stronger
• How the agreement should include babies and very young children
• What duties the new optional protocol should place on government

Your feedback does not need to be lengthy or technical. Even brief comments on one or two points would be extremely valuable and will help ensure a broad range of perspectives are reflected in Together’s submission. We are particularly keen to hear practical insights based on your organisation’s experience and expertise. You may also wish to let us know any broader thoughts your organisation has about the development of the proposed Optional Protocol.

We want to make sure that babies' and very young children’s rights are reflected in the proposals. This is a rare opportunity to influence a new international children’s rights agreement. Getting the wording right now could help improve children’s access to education - starting from the earliest years – in Scotland and around the world.

Get in touch

If you’d like to take part, please contact Maria Doyle, maria@togetherscotland.org.uk

Please send us your comments and feedback by 5pm on Friday 24th July 2026. This is to ensure we have time to collate our response before the UN's deadline of 31st July. 

Many thanks for your support!