The right to primary education for refugee and asylum-seeking children in Cameroon : an appraisal of compliance with international law duties

Abstract

In international human rights law, the right to education is arguably one of the most important rights for at least two reasons. First, it cuts across as a social, economic and cultural right. Second, it has a direct bearing on the enjoyment of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. For vulnerable groups such as women, children and migrants, emphasis has always been made on the need to respect, protect, fulfil and promote the right to education, given the crucial value it plays in promoting peace, stability, and socio-economic and personal development. Two critical issues arise when looking at children of refugees and asylum-seekers. The first is their vulnerability as involuntary migrants who fled their home countries and settled in another country. The second is that as children, they are always vulnerable to different forms of exploitation. Against this background, and in view of the huge number of refugees and asylum-seekers in Cameroon, this study investigates Cameroon's obligations to children who are refugees and asylum-seekers. It seeks to ascertain the measures put in place to mitigate their vulnerability and enable them to enjoy the right to primary education. To achieve this, the study assesses the international and African regional human rights framework which entrenches the right to primary education. It also identifies various obligations created by these instruments and which serve as benchmarks for evaluating whether a State Party like Cameroon fulfilled its international obligations in this regard. The study discusses various measures taken by Cameroon to enhance the respect, protection, fulfilment and promotion of the right to primary education in its territory. It also analyses the challenges that make this difficult and almost impossible. The study concludes with findings and recommendations for consideration by policymakers.