Learning in displacement : the right to education for internally displaced children in Mozambique

Abstract

The right to education is a pivotal right for the development of the child and indispensable for the enjoyment of other human rights. However, as the right becomes universally accepted, its realization for every child continues to encounter obstacles. Unfortunately, since 2017 Mozambique is facing an internal displacement crisis that has severely affected the displaced children´s education. This research aims to examine the standards that protect the internally displaced children´s right to education and verify the African State´s compliance with the obligations resulting from the international, regional and national legal sources. The research concludes that the State fails to respect and protect the right while not ensuring free and compulsory primary education for all children in displacement. Additionally, the research demonstrates the State´s inability to tackle gender-based discrimination in the enjoyment of the right. Finally, this paper argues that a violent and abusive military intervention, the generalized corruption, an incompetent international policy, and the focus on fighting terrorism instead of prioritizing humanitarian needs are crucial factors for the State´s non-compliance with the obligations.