Right to Education Initiative

Who we are

The Right to Education Initiative (RTE) is a global human rights organisation focusing on the right to education. Established in 2000 by the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Katarina Tomaševski, RTE was re-launched in 2008 as the 'Right to Education Project', a collaborative initiative supported by ActionAid International, Amnesty International, Global Campaign for Education, Save the Children, and Human Rights Watch. Since May 2017 the Right to Education Initiative is a charity registered in England and Wales with the charity number 1173115.

We stand for the full recognition of education as a human right, essential for the wellbeing and development of every individual, regardless of their status and circumstance over their life course. This commitment is underpinned by the principles of universality, indivisibility and interdependence. We recognise that education is key for the realisation of other rights and for building societies where respect for human rights, tolerance, inclusivity and diversity are valued. 

RTE promote education as a human right, striving for a world where everyone, without discrimination of any kind, can fully enjoy the right to education in all its dimensions. We do this by advocating for states to both legally commit to and implement the right to education - to make it a reality for all. In so doing we also seek to ensure that governments are held accountable for meeting their human rights obligations. We believe that human rights law can be a powerful tool for lasting change. We seek to empower all rights-holders to claim and enforce their right to education, by making law accessible and usable including through online resources. We also work at the frontiers of the right to education, breaking new ground and helping to clarify and deepen understanding and action on critical emerging issues.

RTE builds bridges between diverse fields (human rights, education and development), stakeholders, (including civil society organisations, international organisations, academics, and states) and diverse language communities (including English, French, Spanish and Arabic). We link global, national and local research and evidence-based policy dialogue to campaigning and advocacy with the aim of accelerating progress towards the realization of the right to education for all through positive and concrete changes on the ground.

RTE is a small and agile organisation which combines being a definitive reference point on the right to education and being a cutting-edge actor addressing current and emerging education issues. We play a dynamic and catalytic role to influence the changes needed in law, practice, and societal attitudes, to advance the right to education.