ABSTRACT
Education is a right to which every child is entitled to and must have the opportunity to participate and engaged in a world class education system and be equipped with the knowledge and skill they need for the future, without discrimination of any kind.
International instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHRs), UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), UN International Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCRs), etc., establishes the Right to Education and the essential elements that must be present in the right to education of every member state signatory to the conventions; adaptability, availability, acceptability, and accessibility, our major concern being the accessibility of the Right to Education.
It is no news that Nigeria is a signatory to several of these conventions which promotes the right to education. The government has taken a step further to accommodate education as one of the government objectives under chapter two, section18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and has enacted several laws and policies on the right to education. This clarifies that Nigeria has a legal framework on the right to education. The question however remains whether the legal framework meets the standard created by the international instruments; does it in its entirety provide and promotes the right of access to education?
The aim of this project is to examine the right of access to education as an intrinsic component under the right to education. It x-rays the legal framework on the right to education in Nigeria. And the challenges on the right of access to education of a child the in Nigeria. It proffers possible solutions to the challenges on the right of access to education of the Nigerian child.
The methodology to be used in the course of this project is doctrinal and to some extent comparative. It also involves the consultation of articles, conventions, constitutional provisions, and judicial authorities.
The finding of the research on this project is that: there is a lacuna in the legal framework on the right to education in Nigeria and that the right of access to education of the Nigeria child is not guaranteed and is hindered by several factors. This includes the problem of finance, facilities, security and terrorism, materials for learning, child labor, to mention a few. Not to mention that the pandemic, also exacerbated the right to access.
Hence, it is only proper that there be a reform in the educational system in Nigeria to implement efficiently the existing framework on education. This would be made possible if government invest more resources in education, collaborate with other private bodies and international organization in ensuring that access to education is guaranteed. For instance, network providers, electricity providers and owners of online platforms for learning, are essential agents that could either promote access to education or disrupt access to education as seen during the lockdown.
