Educational Justice as Rights Defense

Sor Juana understood that education was her path to autonomy and self-defense against injustice. Educational justice means providing children with knowledge of their rights, histories of resistance, and tools for critical analysis of power structures. It goes beyond curriculum to encompass pedagogy that respects student agency, encourages questioning of authority, and teaches children to recognize injustice. Through Sor Juana's work, we see education as emancipatory—it must equip children not only with information but with the intellectual confidence to challenge unjust systems. This includes teaching about children's rights explicitly, providing historical examples of children who resisted oppression, and creating classroom environments where critical thinking is rewarded over obedience. Educational justice recognizes that marginalized children—those from poor families, indigenous communities, or persecuted groups—often receive the poorest education and must be prioritized in resource allocation and pedagogical innovation.