Kelsey Bramer Teachers without Borders 10/25/10

Convention against Discrimination in Education

The CADIE reminds me again of the UDHR. I have the same problems with the document as I do with the UDHR, enforcement, commitment, violation procedures and the fact that the US has not signed the document. My question: Why does the Convention state in Article 9 that Reservations to this Convention shall not be permitted while Article 16 gives permission for a state to denounce the Convention? The Convention has 98 members, to me this doesnt seem like a lot, meaning that many states may have chosen to denounce the Convention. In the case of the US I think its more about being under the thumb of the UN because they dont provide discrimination free education to all. I really dont think any State offers discrimination-free education. It seems strange to me that the fact that a state can choose to denounce the Convention is an actual article, it makes the document seem a lot less powerful and more about politics than individual rights. Again enforcement is an issue, how do we enforce this Convention? I believe that violation in the case of this document would be even harder to spot. Discrimination can range from an individual act to systematic oppression. I feel discrimination free education is a great thing that all deserve but at the same time this is an extremely hard thing to control. Again, I feel like this document is too perfect. But at the same time I think in the 1960s when it was drafted many more injustices in education existed and we have come a long way in fixing these problems in at least the US. For example, Affirmative Action in the US is trying to provide a way to avoid discrimination in education. I believe Discrimination in education is still an issue but the discrimination is not as overt and therefore harder to monitor. The document itself is a good thing, it keeps the issue in the minds of many nations. It provides a standard that all states can aspire to, it is at least a start. But at the same time it was drafted in 1960, what can we do now to improve the convention and/or end discrimination in education?