On 23 June 2022, during the interactive dialogue with Dr Koumbou Boly Barry, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, GI-ESCR presented an oral statement supporting the Rapporteur’s report on the impacts of digitalisation on the right to education.

The statement, joined by the Right to Education Initiative (RTE), recalls the Special Rapporteur’s observation that the digitalisation of education is closely related to the engagement of private actors, and therefore risks leading to greater commercialisation of education.

GI-ESCR’s work in the past decade has shown that increased commercialisation may seriously jeopardise the realisation of the right to free, quality public education for all and associated human rights. To ensure the beneficiaries of the digitalisation of education are learners and teachers, the developments in digital education must be adequately regulated and monitored by States and the public, and ensure equal access for all, with a particular attention to vulnerable, marginalised and disavantaged groups.

The statement also highlights the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation, that in accordance with the Abidjan Principles, States should adopt rules and regulations for the private sector in addressing the risk of increased privatisation through digitalisation processes. These rules and regulations should also apply where partnerships are developed between public education and private actors, for the design and implementation of digital education.

Watch the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur here.