Privatisation

See also on: http://bit.ly/1iQxIFF [1] The *Privatisation in Education Research Initiative*, [2] the *Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights* [3] and *the Right to Education Project* [4] are organising a panel discussion titled *Setting the Rules of the Game: how can regulations of private actors ensure the right to education in the post-2015 setting?* * *When? *Monday, 19 October 2015 from 18.00-20.00 BST * *Where? *Clarke Hall [5], Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL. Panellists will speak to the conditions within which the private sector can partake in the education sector, in particular in light of the new Global Goal 4 on education for all and the legal right to education. The discussion will explore what regulations are needed to allow for responsible and acceptable engagement of private actors in education, at a time when the emergence of a range of low-fee private schools targeting poor communities, including large-scale commercial chains, has sparked controversy [6] in a number of developing countries. [7] These schools have been problematised on a number of levels including social equality, quality of education, and teachers’ conditions. Still, private schools may have a role to play in education systems and the challenge is therefore for governments to craft adequate regulations to ensure the private sector plays a positive role, which does not undermine the efforts to realise the Global Goals and the right to education. The panel will include representatives from the public and private sectors, teachers unions and civil society, and a lively debate is expected with clear recommendations established for the way forward. Confirmed speakers include John Rendel (Executive Director of Promoting Equality in African Schools – PEAS [8]), Sylvain Aubry (Research and legal advisor, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), and Sylvia Mbataru (Legal office, the CRADLE, Kenya). The session will be chaired by BBC Education Correspondent Sean Coughlan [9]. For more information and to RSVP, please email *info@periglobal.org* [10]. You can also check the Facebook event pag [11]e.We encourage you to share this invitation widely with your networks. [1] http://bit.ly/1iQxIFF [2] http://www.periglobal.org/ [3] http://www.globalinitiative-escr.org/ [4] http://www.right-to-education.org/ [5] http://20bedfordway.com/clarke-hall/ [6] http://www.periglobal.org/sites/periglobal.org/files/Responses%20to%20E… [7] http://globalinitiative-escr.org/advocacy/privatization-in-education-re… [8] http://www.peas.org.uk [9] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/correspondents/seancoughlan [10] mailto:info@periglobal.org [11] https://www.facebook.com/events/468799456615375/

The global growth of private actors in education presents many challenges from a human rights perspective. As discussed during a side-event at the Human Rights Council last year, increasing privatisation of education is pushing already vulnerable groups deeper into poverty and furthering social divisions, making it more difficult for states to fulfil their core obligation to provide quality public education for all. Unfortunately, the issues discussed last year have become more acute and the questions raised at that time remain unanswered; in particular, which policies consistent with human rights frameworks need to be adopted to effectively respond to these challenges.