Social justice and education: a look at two global documents

Abstract

This study, part of the UNESCO UniTwin Chair – The City that Educates and Transforms, aims to investigate the concepts of social justice present in the report "Reimagining our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education" (UNESCO, 2022) and the Charter of Educating Cities (AICE, 2020), highlighting the considerations and/or proposals of these documents for the field of education. In the UNESCO Report, social justice is mentioned eight times, placed alongside "principles," "foundations," and "scope," and linked in the textual construction to ecological justice, with an emphasis on the balance of responsibilities to protect the planet. It also upholds connections with fundamental principles, including cultural diversity, non-discrimination, respect for life, and human dignity. In the Charter of Educating Cities, although lacking a clear definition, social justice is linked to the right to an educating city, emphasizing issues such as sustainability, territorial balance, and democratic citizenship. An analysis of both documents suggests that social justice can serve as an “educational bridge” between schools and the city, promoting the integral development of citizens and strengthening education as an inalienable right. We conclude that the term “social justice” is polysemic, and its lack of precision in definition raises more questions than it clarifies. Thus, we reflect on how the concept of social justice can be applied in education and society at large.