The Permanent Forum is profoundly concerned about the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education regarding the extensive child-labour practices in many States involving indigenous children, which represents a grave violation of their human rights, including their right to education. The Forum urges States to consider their obligations in this regard according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and ILO Conventions No. 138 (Minimum Age Convention) and No. 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention).
The Permanent Forum recognizes that the role of boarding schools for indigenous children has attracted considerable international attention. In some countries, boarding schools have had a very negative, even tragic, impact on the families, cultures and identities of indigenous peoples. At the same time, in some regions of the world, boarding schools are considered an important step for the successful social integration and education of indigenous children into mainstream society. The situation is complex. The Permanent Forum therefore recommends that an expert member conduct an in-depth comprehensive and comparative case study on this subject, with a focus on best practices. Furthermore, where negative impacts have occurred, the Permanent Forum supports the call of indigenous peoples for formal apologies from the States concerned.
The Permanent Forum recommends that UNESCO, as the primary United Nations agency dealing with education, science and culture, implement and strengthen strategies based on recommendations from the Permanent Forum’s six sessions, placing emphasis on the quality of education and taking into account the visions and pedagogies of indigenous peoples. This recommendation should be reflected in the contents and activities of the global plan of action and in the medium-term financial strategy 2007-2013.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UNESCO reinforce quality education by building indigenous knowledge and culture into education programmes and curricula, including education for sustainable development and for natural disaster preparedness, and promoting the use of indigenous language as the medium of instruction. The important role of indigenous learning methodologies, including experiential learning with community members outside of the classroom, should also be included.
