Everyone has the right to an education, including the right to an education that furthers the advancement of human rights, advocates for a free and participatory society, promotes understanding, and nurtures tolerance amongst all. This right is outlined and protected by Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights has clarified that the right to education, including higher education, means an education that is relevant, of good quality, and responsive to the needs of changing societies, communities, and students.
The right to education is interdependent. It enables the exercise of many other human rights and also depends on the protection of other rights in order to be fully realized, including the academic freedom of staff and students.
The Right to a Human Rights Education
A human rights education is a human right derived from the right to education which is protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 26), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Article 13), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 29). Through these treaties, states have agreed that education must foster a sense of dignity, strengthen respect for human rights, and equip persons to participate effectively in their societies.
In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (UNDHRET) which defines human rights education (HRE) and training as entailing three crucial components:
- education about human rights,
- education through human rights, and
- education for human rights.
This means that human rights education should include teaching on human rights norms and standards and the mechanisms for their protection, creating an educational environment that respects the rights of all, and empowering learners to exercise their own rights and uphold the rights of others. HRE is training for action!
Case Study: Banned Books
In the United States, book bans are on the rise. The American Library Association (ALA) reports the highest number of challenged book titles ever documented in 2023 - a total of 4,240 unique titles with 47% of titles targeted for censorship representing the voices and lived experiences of LBGTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals. While book bans are often portrayed with the intent of regulating age-appropriate content for children, in practice they frequently censor and repress stories and narratives surrounding race and racism, LGBTQIA+ identities, gender, and the history of marginalized groups in the United States. Every challenge to a library book is an attack on the freedom to read and the right to education. In 2025, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 5,668 books banned from libraries in the United States and an additional 920 books censored through access restrictions like relocation or requiring parental permission. This is both the highest number of titles censored in one year and the highest rate of challenges resulting in censorship from 1990-2025. 92% of all book challenges in 2025 were initiated by pressure groups and government officials.
In response, United Against Book Bans empowers people everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. With more than 200 partner organizations they equip and mobilize the public to advocate in their communities for the right to read and defeat government attempts to censor reading material.
The American Library Association and the Banned Books Week Coalition organize an annual campaign to highlight the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week is a national week of recognition that serves as a reminder of the importance of free expression and open access to ideas and draws attention to the harms of censorship.
Review the list of the Top 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025