Enforcement of children's right to education: Could this be the only breakthrogh to Zambia's economic development

Abstract

This study marks the effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of how legal enforcement of a child's right to education can help lessen the economic problems that Zambia is facing. The country's economy is far from being called developed. There are more than 5 million children less than 17 years of age but less than three quarters of these are in school. The essay opens a briefing on what the provision of education really, gives a historical background on the right to education and analyses the legal framework of this right both at the national and International level. Noting that enforcement of the right to education cannot be entirely put on the government, the study emphasized that the responsibility also lied upon the entire civil society to participate in ensuring that all school age children are enrolled. It was recommended that parents and guardians who abandon their children should be made to face the law. It has been considered that Following upon this research, the following strategies were considered: (1) The right to education needs to be put in the bill of rights of constitution and justiciable (2) There should be a time frame in which universal education should be achieved (3) Several of these strategies can be learnt from Sweden and Finland who have the provision of the right to education in their constitutions and all the children are in school. The essay concludes by giving certain actions for Zambia to adopt if it is to fulfil the right to education of all the children in the country.