A human rights approach in relation to the education system and its implications in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This study explains the human rights approach to education in developing countries. Education as
a fundamental human right is discussed in the literature review, and the paper focuses on the rights of
disabled children to quality education. Examining the strengths and shortcomings of a rights-based approach
to education reveals that a human rights approach to learning has a positive impact on improving
the literacy levels of children and adults in developing countries. However, considerable debates about
the discourse of rights should be underlined, because this approach often overemphasizes legal rights
instead of providing essential solutions. This study focuses on children with disabilities in Kazakhstan, in
order to investigate the implications of a rights-based discourse in this post-Soviet country. Specifically,
how the quality of life in countries such as Kazakhstan is different to that in developed countries, and to
what extent this affects the provision of basic rights as a social service.
Key words: human rights approach, education, Kazakhstan.