Bede Sheppard
@bedeonkidrights.bsky.social
Deputy Director for #ChildRights at @hrw.org. Passionate about: children’s right to free education, from pre-primary through secondary; and keeping students safe, even during war. Photography for fun. Xoloitzcuintli fan.
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Mali’s junta has temporarily shut all schools & universities after an Islamist armed group laid siege to the capital, and cut off fuel supplies used for school transportation. Both sides in Mali’s conflict need to do more to protect the country’s children. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... #ChildRights
October 29, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Mali’s junta has temporarily shut all schools & universities after an Islamist armed group laid siege to the capital, and cut off fuel supplies used for school transportation. Both sides in Mali’s conflict need to do more to protect the country’s children. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... #ChildRights
"Young people have rights too. This Bill treats them as problems to be managed rather than rights-holders to be protected"--@rightsaotearoa.bsky.social urges the #NewZealand government to reject a plan to ban under-16s from social media platforms. www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK25... #ChildRights
October 27, 2025 at 6:42 PM
"Young people have rights too. This Bill treats them as problems to be managed rather than rights-holders to be protected"--@rightsaotearoa.bsky.social urges the #NewZealand government to reject a plan to ban under-16s from social media platforms. www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK25... #ChildRights
GOOD NEWS🥳: Malawi's new government announces that secondary education will be free for all from January 2026! mwnation.com/no-more-scho... #ChildRights
October 20, 2025 at 9:48 AM
GOOD NEWS🥳: Malawi's new government announces that secondary education will be free for all from January 2026! mwnation.com/no-more-scho... #ChildRights
What just happened at the UN on a right to free education? @norrag.bsky.social let me try and summarize the latest progress on a new treaty to strengthen the right to free education, from pre-primary through secondary: www.norrageducation.org/un-progress-... #ChildRights #OPFRED #ECCE
September 25, 2025 at 9:08 AM
What just happened at the UN on a right to free education? @norrag.bsky.social let me try and summarize the latest progress on a new treaty to strengthen the right to free education, from pre-primary through secondary: www.norrageducation.org/un-progress-... #ChildRights #OPFRED #ECCE
In new report, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities recommends States "𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐑𝐂": lnkd.in/dyX6hKEK
#ChildRights #OPFRED
#ChildRights #OPFRED
September 15, 2025 at 1:36 PM
In new report, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities recommends States "𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐑𝐂": lnkd.in/dyX6hKEK
#ChildRights #OPFRED
#ChildRights #OPFRED
Children from across the globe have expressed support for expanding a human rights treaty to require countries to provide free pre-primary & secondary education. Their message: education should be free, inclusive, and available for everyone throughout childhood: www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...
August 28, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Children from across the globe have expressed support for expanding a human rights treaty to require countries to provide free pre-primary & secondary education. Their message: education should be free, inclusive, and available for everyone throughout childhood: www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...
📚🌍 Great to see that the UN released a child-friendly report capturing the views of **8,100+** children on a new treaty to strengthen the right to FREE education, from pre-primary through secondary! (Short version, they say YES!)
Full report here: www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
Full report here: www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
August 26, 2025 at 9:16 AM
📚🌍 Great to see that the UN released a child-friendly report capturing the views of **8,100+** children on a new treaty to strengthen the right to FREE education, from pre-primary through secondary! (Short version, they say YES!)
Full report here: www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
Full report here: www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
The UN just heard from 8,100 kids (ages 3+) in 40 countries who reported on barriers to their right to education—especially fees and hidden costs—and called on governments to guarantee free education, from early childhood through secondary:
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
August 25, 2025 at 6:54 AM
The UN just heard from 8,100 kids (ages 3+) in 40 countries who reported on barriers to their right to education—especially fees and hidden costs—and called on governments to guarantee free education, from early childhood through secondary:
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul... #ChildRights #OPFRED
I've never seen an OpEd quite like this before: What would pre-school children across the world do to improve access to early years education? Erini Gkouskou shares their views with @nurseryworld.bsky.social: www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/opin... #ChildRights
August 20, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I've never seen an OpEd quite like this before: What would pre-school children across the world do to improve access to early years education? Erini Gkouskou shares their views with @nurseryworld.bsky.social: www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/opin... #ChildRights
Other barriers cited included discrimination, lack of legal frameworks & guarantees, lack of adequately trained educators, underfunding, under-resourcing, armed conflict, prevalence of early marriage and pregnancy, low awareness of the benefits, food insecurity, and lack of sanitation in schools.
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Other barriers cited included discrimination, lack of legal frameworks & guarantees, lack of adequately trained educators, underfunding, under-resourcing, armed conflict, prevalence of early marriage and pregnancy, low awareness of the benefits, food insecurity, and lack of sanitation in schools.
At least 69 civil society submissions mentioned tuition or fees as either a barrier to participation in pre-primary and/or secondary education, or education being free at these levels as a benefit to participation.
At least 58 mentioned barriers caused by other education-related costs.
At least 58 mentioned barriers caused by other education-related costs.
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
At least 69 civil society submissions mentioned tuition or fees as either a barrier to participation in pre-primary and/or secondary education, or education being free at these levels as a benefit to participation.
At least 58 mentioned barriers caused by other education-related costs.
At least 58 mentioned barriers caused by other education-related costs.
NONE of the civil society submissions disagreed with the assessment that a gap indeed exists in the Convention on the Rights of the Child when it comes to guaranteeing free pre-primary and free secondary education for all children, as opposed to free primary education.
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
NONE of the civil society submissions disagreed with the assessment that a gap indeed exists in the Convention on the Rights of the Child when it comes to guaranteeing free pre-primary and free secondary education for all children, as opposed to free primary education.
Among them: a submission from past UN education rapporteurs Vernor Muñoz & Kishore Singh: “We...express our full support”--and endorsing the recommendation of their successor, Koumbou Boly Barry, who in 2022 urged that the right to early childhood education be enshrined in a legally binding treaty.
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Among them: a submission from past UN education rapporteurs Vernor Muñoz & Kishore Singh: “We...express our full support”--and endorsing the recommendation of their successor, Koumbou Boly Barry, who in 2022 urged that the right to early childhood education be enshrined in a legally binding treaty.
Even though the UN didn’t even ask the question, at least 50 submissions nonetheless seized the opportunity to state their support for the proposal for the new optional protocol!
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Even though the UN didn’t even ask the question, at least 50 submissions nonetheless seized the opportunity to state their support for the proposal for the new optional protocol!
There was genuinely GLOBAL interest in the initiative, with respondents including information from at least 91 countries. The most submissions came from the 💂♀️UK, followed by Nigeria, then tied: Australia, Brazil, India, and Ireland.
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
There was genuinely GLOBAL interest in the initiative, with respondents including information from at least 91 countries. The most submissions came from the 💂♀️UK, followed by Nigeria, then tied: Australia, Brazil, India, and Ireland.
I just read all 108 submissions made by academics, NGOs, & unions to the UN’s Human Rights office, in preparation for the upcoming UN meeting to consider a new optional protocol to the #ChildRights Convention to strengthen the right to education.
🧵Here are some takeaway stats on the submissions:
🧵Here are some takeaway stats on the submissions:
August 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I just read all 108 submissions made by academics, NGOs, & unions to the UN’s Human Rights office, in preparation for the upcoming UN meeting to consider a new optional protocol to the #ChildRights Convention to strengthen the right to education.
🧵Here are some takeaway stats on the submissions:
🧵Here are some takeaway stats on the submissions:
Norway's defense ministry has updated their manual on international humanitarian law. Among the important updates:
"Buildings used as schools and universities must not be used by parties to the conflict in support of the military effort" 💯
fhs.brage.unit.no/fhs-xmlui/ha...
#IHL #ChildRights
"Buildings used as schools and universities must not be used by parties to the conflict in support of the military effort" 💯
fhs.brage.unit.no/fhs-xmlui/ha...
#IHL #ChildRights
August 4, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Norway's defense ministry has updated their manual on international humanitarian law. Among the important updates:
"Buildings used as schools and universities must not be used by parties to the conflict in support of the military effort" 💯
fhs.brage.unit.no/fhs-xmlui/ha...
#IHL #ChildRights
"Buildings used as schools and universities must not be used by parties to the conflict in support of the military effort" 💯
fhs.brage.unit.no/fhs-xmlui/ha...
#IHL #ChildRights
The African #ChildRights Committee's new 'General Comment' on the Right to Education: "Forbids the use of institutions of learning for any military use" and says states must "take measures to protect schools from...use for military purposes": www.acerwc.africa/sites/defaul... #ACERWC
July 31, 2025 at 7:39 AM
The African #ChildRights Committee's new 'General Comment' on the Right to Education: "Forbids the use of institutions of learning for any military use" and says states must "take measures to protect schools from...use for military purposes": www.acerwc.africa/sites/defaul... #ACERWC
Hope unites us in crisis and drives lasting change.
What gives me hope? Growing support for a treaty to make education free from preschool through secondary every child's right.
Happy 1st International Day of Hope! See more reasons to hope in @theglobalgoals & @one report:
globalgoals.org #BeHope
What gives me hope? Growing support for a treaty to make education free from preschool through secondary every child's right.
Happy 1st International Day of Hope! See more reasons to hope in @theglobalgoals & @one report:
globalgoals.org #BeHope
July 12, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Hope unites us in crisis and drives lasting change.
What gives me hope? Growing support for a treaty to make education free from preschool through secondary every child's right.
Happy 1st International Day of Hope! See more reasons to hope in @theglobalgoals & @one report:
globalgoals.org #BeHope
What gives me hope? Growing support for a treaty to make education free from preschool through secondary every child's right.
Happy 1st International Day of Hope! See more reasons to hope in @theglobalgoals & @one report:
globalgoals.org #BeHope
As the number of children out-of-school globally increases📈, so should education spending, says @martinez-elin.bsky.social. Underfunding worsens barriers & discrimination faced by millions. Without adequate spending, governments can't deliver free education: www.hrw.org/news/2025/07... #ChildRights
July 8, 2025 at 10:59 AM
As the number of children out-of-school globally increases📈, so should education spending, says @martinez-elin.bsky.social. Underfunding worsens barriers & discrimination faced by millions. Without adequate spending, governments can't deliver free education: www.hrw.org/news/2025/07... #ChildRights
At the UN's #HumanRights Council, governments are considering a new treaty to make free education, from pre-primary through secondary, *every* child's right.
Listen to why child activists from around the world are supporting it.
#ChildRights #UNHRC
Listen to why child activists from around the world are supporting it.
#ChildRights #UNHRC
July 1, 2025 at 3:11 PM
At the UN's #HumanRights Council, governments are considering a new treaty to make free education, from pre-primary through secondary, *every* child's right.
Listen to why child activists from around the world are supporting it.
#ChildRights #UNHRC
Listen to why child activists from around the world are supporting it.
#ChildRights #UNHRC
US aid cuts have closed schools for #Rohingya kids in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Who could help?
Rohingya teachers, who set up their own schools with $0 international funding.
If #Bangladesh recognized these schools, they could grow.
New from @hrw.org: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06... #ChildRights
Who could help?
Rohingya teachers, who set up their own schools with $0 international funding.
If #Bangladesh recognized these schools, they could grow.
New from @hrw.org: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06... #ChildRights
June 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
US aid cuts have closed schools for #Rohingya kids in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Who could help?
Rohingya teachers, who set up their own schools with $0 international funding.
If #Bangladesh recognized these schools, they could grow.
New from @hrw.org: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06... #ChildRights
Who could help?
Rohingya teachers, who set up their own schools with $0 international funding.
If #Bangladesh recognized these schools, they could grow.
New from @hrw.org: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06... #ChildRights
New editorial from @jtodres.bsky.social explains the need for, and implications of, the proposed new optional protocol to the CRC on the right to education. He also poses important questions for #ChildRights scholars & researchers. In the Int'l Journal of Children's Rights: brill.com/view/journal...
June 26, 2025 at 7:46 AM
New editorial from @jtodres.bsky.social explains the need for, and implications of, the proposed new optional protocol to the CRC on the right to education. He also poses important questions for #ChildRights scholars & researchers. In the Int'l Journal of Children's Rights: brill.com/view/journal...
Most African governments fail to meet global funding targets for quality education. Only Morocco, Namibia, & Sierra Leone legally guarantee free pre-primary through secondary education and meet int'l education funding benchmarks.
From @hrw.org this #DayOfTheAfricanChild: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...
From @hrw.org this #DayOfTheAfricanChild: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...
June 16, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Most African governments fail to meet global funding targets for quality education. Only Morocco, Namibia, & Sierra Leone legally guarantee free pre-primary through secondary education and meet int'l education funding benchmarks.
From @hrw.org this #DayOfTheAfricanChild: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...
From @hrw.org this #DayOfTheAfricanChild: www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...
#InternationalDayOfPlay! Learning through play is more than just fun—it builds critical thinking, language, and social skills. Every child should have a guaranteed human right to free preschool, to learn and thrive through play. #ChildRights
June 11, 2025 at 5:27 AM
#InternationalDayOfPlay! Learning through play is more than just fun—it builds critical thinking, language, and social skills. Every child should have a guaranteed human right to free preschool, to learn and thrive through play. #ChildRights