Legal Protection of Children's Right to Education
Keywords:
Children's Right To Education; Legal Protection; Normative HierarchyAbstract
This study examines the legal protection of children's right to education, focusing on how legal frameworks conceptualize, guarantee, and enforce this right across different jurisdictions. Employing a normative legal research method, the study analyzes primary and secondary legal sources, including international human rights instruments, statutory provisions, and relevant scholarly literature, using a descriptive-analytical and qualitative-juridical approach. The findings reveal a persistent gap between the normative recognition of children's right to education and its enforceable guarantee in practice. Although widely affirmed as a core entitlement within international children's rights frameworks, the right has not been consistently elevated to a peremptory or non-derogable status, leaving it vulnerable to being outweighed by competing state interests. Protection for vulnerable groups, particularly children with disabilities, depends heavily on institutional discretion rather than binding standards, while legal guarantees prove especially fragile during periods of systemic crisis. These findings suggest that strengthening legal protection requires more than expanding the substantive scope of recognized rights; it demands a clearer normative hierarchy within domestic legal systems and the development of enforceable, crisis-resilient accountability mechanisms. The study contributes to ongoing legal discourse on translating formal recognition of children's educational rights into consistent and effective protection.
References
[1]. Ab Rahman, N. H., Mohd Zahir, M. Z., & Althabhawi, N. M. (2023). Repercussions of COVID-19 lockdown on implementation of children's rights to education. Children, 10(3), 474. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10030474
[2]. Ainscow, M. (2020). Inclusion and equity in education: Making sense of global changes. Prospects, 49(3–4), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09506-w
[3]. Al Hafidz, N. F. I., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Safira, P. R., Firmansyah, E., & Putra, A. S. E. (2026). The Role of Teacher-Student Relationships in Minimizing Cyberbullying Behavior in the School Environment. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[4]. Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Batubara, D. P., Kurniawan, A. N. A. A., Firmansyah, E., & Arectya, E. A. M. (2026). A Juridical Review of the Implementation of Marital Property (Harta Bersama) in Interfaith Marriages in Indonesia. H-Veritas: Law and Society Research Journal, 1(01).
[5]. Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Arectya, E. A. M., Zakariah, I., & Junaidi, M. (2026). The Concept of Social Ihsan in the Thought of KH Ahmad Dahlan: A Reactualization of Practical Sufism (Tasawuf Amali) in the Modern Era. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[6]. Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Setiyawan, M. I., Firmansyah, E., Arectya, E. A. M., & Nusantara, H. D. (2026). Economic Valuation of Mangrove Ecosystems as a Climate Change Mitigation Effort on the Surabaya Coast. H-Econexus: Economics, Business and Banking Research Journal, 1(01).
[7]. Albirra, A. M., Firmansyah, E., Kenneth, K. S. A. A. H., Batubara, D. P., & Kurniawan, A. N. A. A. (2026). The Right to Freedom of Expression on Social Media in the Perspective of Hifz al-Aql (Preservation of Reason) and Positive Law. H-Veritas: Law and Society Research Journal, 1(01).
[8]. Anam, K., Firmansyah, E., & Al Hallaj, K. S. A. (2026). Cultural Transformation as an Instrument of Global Geopolitical Hegemony in the Era of Great Power Contestation. SUNDANO: International Journal of Education, Society and Cultural Transformation, 1(01).
[9]. Arectya, E. A. M., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Haiba, A. T., & Muhandis, U. K. (2026). Digital Economic Transformation and Its Implications for Economic Growth in Indonesia. H-Econexus: Economics, Business and Banking Research Journal, 1(01).
[10]. Bakar, M. Y. A., Firmansyah, E., & Abdeljelil, M. B. (2024). Legal framework analysis of Islamic religious education policy implementation. International Journal of Law and Society, 3(3), 217-237.
[11]. Byrne, B. (2019). How inclusive is the right to inclusive education? An assessment of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' concluding observations. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(3), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1651411
[12]. Della Fina, V. (2017). Article 24: Education. In V. Della Fina, R. Cera, & G. Palmisano (Eds.), The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Commentary (pp. 439–470). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43790-3_28
[13]. Elmirna, N., Sahara, L., & Firmansyah, E. (2026). MANAJEMEN SUPERVISI AKADEMIK KEPALA SEKOLAH SEBAGAI UPAYA PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI PEDAGOGIK GURU SMA NEGERI 02 BOMBANA. Research And Development Journal Of Education (RDJE), 12(01), 098-110.
[14]. Faridi, F., & Firmansyah, E. (2024). Kelembagaan pendidikan Islam di Nusantara: Surau, meunasah, masjid, pesantren, madrasah. Iqra: Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 19(1), 93-97.
[15]. Firmansyah, E. (2023). Various Paradigms in Islamic Educational Thought: Fundamentalism, Modernism, and Liberalism. International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 5(2), 139-145.
[16]. Firmansyah, E. (2026). Determinants of Social Inclusion from a Gender Perspective Among Vulnerable Populations. SUNDANO: International Journal of Education, Society and Cultural Transformation, 1(01).
[17]. Firmansyah, E. (2026). The Constitutional Court in Guaranteeing Citizenship Rights in Indonesia. Journal of Law and Society Review (JLSR), 1(1), 12-21.
[18]. Firmansyah, E., & Humaidi, M. N. (2022). Penerapan Media Pembelajaran Berbasis Teknologi dalam Menghadapi Turbulensi Pendidikan yang Berkemajuan. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(2), 660-665.
[19]. Firmansyah, E., & Idris, A. (2024). Moderation as a Solution to Religious Harmony in Poso Central Sulawesi. International Journal of Law and Society, 3(1), 1-9.
[20]. Firmansyah, E., & Ikwan, A. (2026). Inclusive Education as a Catalyst for Social Transformation: A Systematic Literature Review. SUNDANO: International Journal of Education, Society and Cultural Transformation, 1(01).
[21]. Firmansyah, E., & Khalil, A. I. M. (2026). Epistemic Reclamation of Indigenous Local Wisdom as a Counter-Narrative to Anthropocentrism in Planetary Crisis Governance. International Journal of Education and Cultural Transformation, 1(01).
[22]. Firmansyah, E., & Khozin, K. (2022). Teologi dan filsafat sebagai basis Pengembangan Kurikulum pendidikan agama Islam. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(2), 546-550.
[23]. Firmansyah, E., & Lasawali, A. A. (2022). Kiat-kiat yang dilakukan Fakultas Agama Islam Universitas Muhammadiyah Palu dalam Menciptakan Lulusan Berkualitas dan Berkemajuan. Iqra: Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan dan Keislaman, 17(1), 26-31.
[24]. Firmansyah, E., & Nurhakim, N. (2022). Strategies for Instilling Muhammadiyah Values within the Faculty of Islamic Religion, University of Muhammadiyah Palu. International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 4(2), 91-98.
[25]. Firmansyah, E., & Romelah, R. (2022). Implementasi Pembelajaran Pai Dengan Metode Discovery Learning Dalam Upaya Melatih Kemandirian Siswa (Studi Kasus: Sd Alam Ar-Rohmah Kec. Dau, Kab. Malang). Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(1), 322-326.
[26]. Firmansyah, E., & Romelah, R. (2022). Tanggapan Guru Terhadap Perannya Dalam Melaksanakan Pembelajaran Di Sdit Al-Qolam Kecamatan Marawola Kabupaten Sigi. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(1), 345-353.
[27]. Firmansyah, E., & Wardati, N. A. (2022). Implementasi Pendidikan Muhammadiyah di Sekolah Dasar Muhammadiyah 6 Kota Batu. Iqra: Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan dan Keislaman, 17(2), 75-80.
[28]. Firmansyah, E., & Wardati, N. A. (2022). Implementation of Islamic Morning Stories in Implementing Student's Religious Character in SD Alam Ar-Rohmah. International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 4(3), 180-186.
[29]. Firmansyah, E., Anwar, S., & Khozin, K. (2023). Anthropological Approach to Islamic Education: Establishing Noble Spirituality in Overcoming Social Conflict. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 7(1), 163-172.
[30]. Firmansyah, E., Arifin, S., & Humaidi, M. N. (2023). Kebijakan Pendidikan Agama Islam di Sekolah Umum Zaman Jepang. JIIP-Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(12), 10446-10453.
[31]. Firmansyah, E., Khozin, K., & Masdul, M. R. (2022). Implementasi Piaud Terhadap Anak–Anak Suku Kaili Pedalaman Di Desa Kalora Kabupaten Sigi. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(1), 386-390.
[32]. Firmansyah, E., Sumantri, P. A. H., Mutmainna, N., & Azizah, N. (2025). Implementasi Ta'awun dan Ukhuwah Wathaniyah melalui Tradisi Gotong Royong di Desa Pombewe. Iqra: Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 20(1), 14-25.
[33]. Firmansyah, E., Tobroni, T., & Romelah, R. (2023). Anthropology of Islamic Education as A Socio-Cultural-Religious Modernization Strategy in Alam Al-Kudus Islamic Boarding School. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(03).
[34]. Firmansyah, E., Tobroni, T., & Rusady, A. T. (2023). Internalisasi Ajaran Islam Dalam Aktivitas Budaya Etnik Kaili Prespektif Antropologi Pendidikan Islam. Research and Development Journal of Education, 9(1), 285-299.
[35]. Firmansyah, E., Tobroni, T., Lasawali, A. A., & Marhum, A. M. A. (2022). MERANGKAI PERKEMBANGAN LEMBAGA PENDIDIKAN PESANTREN DAN USAHANYA DALAM MELAHIRKAN TOKOH-TOKOH TERBAIK BANGSA. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(2), 702-706.
[36]. Firmansyah, E., Ummah, M., & Tsaqiif, N. (2025). REPRESENTASI IDENTITAS BUDAYA LOKAL DALAM DESAIN KEMASAN PRODUK UMKM. Chester: Art and Design Journal, 1(1), 1-13.
[37]. Freeman, M. (2010). The human rights of children. Current Legal Problems, 63(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1093/clp/63.1.1
[38]. Glaeser, E. L., Ponzetto, G. A., & Shleifer, A. (2007). Why does democracy need education? Journal of Economic Growth, 12(2), 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10887-007-9015-1
[39]. Goldberg, S. S. (1982). A national right to education. In Special Education Law (pp. 15–30). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9245-7_2
[40]. Huda, M. T., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Batubara, D. P., Arectya, E. A. M., & Firmansyah, E. (2026). State Responsibility in Protecting Indonesian Citizens as Migrant Workers Abroad. H-Veritas: Law and Society Research Journal, 1(01).
[41]. Jati, A. P., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Arectya, E. A. M., & Nusantara, H. D. (2026). Noble Character Formation Through Transformative Spirituality Habituation Among Cadres of Ikatan Mahasiswa Muhammadiyah (IMM) Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya (UINSA). H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[42]. Kefallinou, A., Symeonidou, S., & Meijer, C. J. W. (2020). Understanding the value of inclusive education and its implementation: A review of the literature. Prospects, 49(3–4), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09500-2
[43]. Khozin, K., & Firmansyah, E. (2024). Development of a holistic spiritual education model in higher college: A multidisciplinary perspective. International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 6(3), 591-594.
[44]. Kurniawan, A. N. A. A., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Batubara, D. P., & Malihah, G. R. (2026). Extradition of Cross-Border Cybercrime Perpetrators: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Singapore. H-Veritas: Law and Society Research Journal, 1(01).
[45]. Nasution, M. F. R., & Firmansyah, E. (2026). Kemampuan Literasi Digital Siswa Madrasah Tsanawiyah Madinatussalam pada Materi Bahasa Indonesia. Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran Indonesia (JPPI), 6(1), 206-216.
[46]. Nurhakim, M., Tobroni, T., Hasan, I., & Firmansyah, E. (2023). TRANSFORMASI PEMIKIRAN JAMAAH SALAFI DALAM MERESPON TUNTUTAN PEMBAHARUAN KURIKULUM PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM: Paham. keagamaan, transformasi. pemikiran, pimpinan pesantren. Salafi. TAJDID: Jurnal Pemikiran Keislaman Dan Kemanusiaan, 7(2), 195-205.
[47]. Nusantara, H. D., Setiyawan, M. I., Firmansyah, E., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., & Wijoyo, M. B. (2026). Analysis of Potential and Legal Risks of Sharia Paylater in the Perspective of Contemporary Fiqh Muamalah. H-Econexus: Economics, Business and Banking Research Journal, 1(01).
[48]. Nusantara, H. D., Wijoyo, M. B., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., & Jati, A. P. (2026). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Utilization as a Learning Assistant on Student Learning Independence at Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[49]. Raditya, B., Arectya, E. A. M., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., & Muhandis, U. K. (2026). DEEPFAKE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF HYBRID THREATS TO INDONESIA'S NATIONAL RESILIENCE. H-Veritas: Law and Society Research Journal, 1(01).
[50]. Safira, P. R., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., & Putra, A. S. E. (2026). Environmental Ethics Based on Akhlaq Tasawwuf: The Perspective of Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid Muhammadiyah. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[51]. Septian, C., Firmansyah, E., Rakhmat, R. S., & Kariadinata, R. (2025). The use of desmos-assisted creative problem-solving learning in improving critical thinking skills. Pasundan Journal of Mathematics Education: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 15(1), 58-70.
[52]. Setiawati, S. Y., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Safira, P. R., & Junaidi, M. (2026). The Influence of Parenting Styles on Reading Interest of Elementary School Students. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[53]. Setiyawan, M. I., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Arectya, E. A. M., & Nusantara, H. D. (2026). Management Policy of Zakat, Infaq, and Sedekah (ZIS) as an Instrument for Extreme Poverty Alleviation: A Maqashid Shariah Perspective. H-Econexus: Economics, Business and Banking Research Journal, 1(01).
[54]. Setiyawan, R., Hamsiah, W., Wahyuni, H. I., Ramadhan, S., & Firmansyah, E. (2026). Local Kyai's Religious Elite Transformation and Governance Paradox: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Iran. International Journal of Law and Society, 5(2), 290-306.
[55]. Syah, E. F., Khozin, K., & Haris, A. (2023). Merenda The History of Sheik Sya'ban in The Framework of Banggai Ethnic Islamic Educational Anthropology 8th Century Ad. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(03).
[56]. Syamsuddin, S. D., & Firmansyah, E. (2025). Developing Khuluqin'Adzim Through Tarbiyah Yaumiyah Program. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 9(4), 766-781.
[57]. Timotheou, S., & Cachia, R. (2022). Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors influencing schools' digital capacity and transformation: A literature review. Comparative Education, 58(4), 568–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2022.2107645
[58]. Tobroni, T., & Firmansyah, E. (2022). Tipologi manajemen tradisional dan modern dalam perkembangan pendidikan pesantren. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(1), 333-338.
[59]. Tobroni, T., Firmansyah, E., Masdul, M. R., & Anwar, S. (2024). Strengthening Islamic Education Values through Kaili Da'a Local Ethnic Cultural Symbol. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 8(1), 113-122.
[60]. Tobroni, T., Firmansyah, E., Rajindra, R., & Fadli, N. (2023). Spirituality as a paradigm of peace education. Multicultural Islamic Education Review, 23-32.
[61]. Weishart, J. E. (2013). Reconstituting the right to education. Alabama Law Review, 67(4), 915–1002.
[62]. Wijoyo, M. B., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Firmansyah, E., Setiyawan, M. I., & Huda, M. T. (2026). Analysis of the Concept of Khidmat and Community Welfare in Abu Ubaid's Economic Thought: Its Relevance to Modern Fiscal Policy. Journal of Economics, Business and Banking, 1(01).
[63]. Wijoyo, M. B., Firmansyah, E., Al Hallaj, K. S. A., Zakariah, I., & Junaidi, M. (2026). The Impact of Academic Stress Levels and Grit (Perseverance) on Burnout Behavior Among Final Year Students Writing Their Theses at Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[64]. Wulansari, T., Rani, R., Wahidin, D., & Firmansyah, E. (2023). Refleksi pragmatisme terhadap motivasi belajar matematika siswa dalam logika dan cinta di drama korea. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kewirausahaan, 12(1), 240-255.
[65]. Yamin, A. E. (2019). Struggles for human rights in health in an age of neoliberalism. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 11, 357–372. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huz026
[66]. Yazar, F., Farhan, F. A., Faqih, A., & Firmansyah, E. (2026). THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING GENDER IDENTITY AMONG GENERATION Z. H-Luminia: Education, Psychology and Social Behavior Research Journal, 1(01).
[67]. Yazid, S., & Firmansyah, E. (2022). Analisis problematika dan solusi atas motivasi belajar peserta didik dalam pendidikan Islam. Research and Development Journal of Education, 8(1), 339-344.
