Juveniles' Right to Education: A Case Study of Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre

Abstract

The Right to education is a universal human right and is enshrined in various international human rights standards but the main one is the Convention of the Rights of the Child, and national laws like the Children’s Act of 2005 in Uganda. The right to education is supposed to be enjoyed by every child including those in detention also known as children in conflict with the law. Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre (KNRC) is temporarily mandated to house all incarcerated juveniles between the ages of 12–18 in Uganda. Apart from KNRC, Uganda has four remand homes in Fort Portal, Gulu, Naguru and Mbale. These constitute legal detention facilities in Uganda. This research examined the enjoyment of the right to education by incarcerated children in Uganda and the level of awareness of duty bearers and right holders in regards to the right to education. The findings of the study indicate that Kampiringisa still acts as the national rehabilitation centre for children despite being mandated as only a temporary detention centre by the children’s Act. Likewise, duty bearers and right claimants have scanty knowledge regarding the right to education and only limit it to going to school and acquiring knowledge.