Children’s Education: From a Right to a Capability

As stated in Article 29 of the UNCRC, the goal of education is to prepare children for a responsible life in a free society. However, recent international agendas and strategy documents (such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) have emphasised the need to develop a more equal and just – more so than a freer – society, while continuing to identify education as a key pillar of human development. In light of this background, the present chapter offers a theoretical analysis of the role of education in human social development, exploring possible connections between children’s rights studies and the capabilities approach. It refers to the terms of the UNCRC to suggest that children’s capabilities need to be conceptualised on their own terms.