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South Asia Workshop on Human Rights Education in Schools | Page: 1 2 School Policies and Programs Schools exist to treat humankind with equity. It is the school that helps develop an understanding of the people of the world and the respect for human life and humankind. Likewise it is a duty of the school to develop individuals with wholesome attitudes and good behavior. While it is only through cooperative effort that the humankind could develop, the foundation is laid through the school. Therefore the Civic Education and Civics and Governance subjects should be taught as compulsory subjects in schools. It is the duty of school authorities to provide an annual program appropriate for the region where every student can participate to transform the syllabus content into more effective learning experiences. At the beginning of the school year, it will be beneficial to produce a program which can be implemented in a practical way. Given below are some co-curricular activities which can be included in such program:
Examination and evaluation practices should take place in the following manner:
The Pakistani participants explained the integration of human rights education into Pakistani school curriculum. Mrs. Rubina Victor[11] explained that human rights could be taught in social studies subject (which includes history, civics, and geography) and in Islamic studies subject. Ms. Sitwat Yusufzai[12] presented the experiences of one private school, specifically about the lesson plans on human rights for Urdu language subject. They listed ideas (values) related to human rights that could be emphasized in several subjects (language, mathematics, science and social studies) covering Grades 1 to 10. They also mentioned that the methodologies to be used depend on the subject and the topic being taught as mentioned in the guide for curriculum review. Aside from the materials listed in the guide, role-play, short storytelling, dramatic presentations could be added. Curriculum review According to the general principles governing the National Plan of Action for Human Rights Education developed by Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Education (Curriculum Wing) in collaboration with UNESCO Islamabad Office in 2001, there is a need to[13]
The Curriculum is divided into three levels: primary, middle school and secondary. While the Curriculum primarily presents a subject on human rights, it strongly recommends integration of human rights issues into other subjects as well. Furthermore, it suggests methodologies to be utilized for the delivery of the lessons as are also a variety of activities that students can do in school, at home and in the community. Thus a holistic flavor has been added to what is basically a course in human rights. At the primary level, the human right issues include individual rights, social rights and responsibilities, protection of societal/cultural values, and political and legal rights. Perhaps the provisions of CRC can be added at this level. At the middle school level, the human right issues include individual rights and responsibilities, rights of people living in a community, protection of cultural/societal values, and protection of political and legal rights. Considering that the rights of muslims and non-muslim minorities are mentioned in this section, perhaps the addition of conflict resolution will not be inappropriate at this level. Again, the study and related activities based on the CRC can be added to the curriculum. At the secondary school level, the human rights issues include respect for humanity, individuals’ rights and responsibilities as members of society, protection of cultural/societal values, and political, constitutional and legal rights. Perhaps at this level, since the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1994 Cairo Declaration on Population & Development, and the 1995 Beijing Declaration are being introduced, a study of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights during the threeyear period would be beneficial in developing further focus on the entire curriculum. For human rights education to succeed in its objectives, what is required in the formulation of curriculums is
The Curriculum certainly implements the National Plan of Action especially in the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for a holistic, meaningful approach to human rights. One question about the National Plan of Action is whether or not there will ever be enough resources to introduce human rights education in schools. It thus appears imperative “that the teachers be trained to internalize the human rights perspective and then be able to take up the issues in the classroom."[15] Teacher training, to an extent, meets the needs of another principle governing the National Plan of Action. An appropriate learning environment generated by an appropriately trained teacher ensures adequate participation of students in absorbing human rights concepts, while all stakeholders develop the required attitude towards human rights education. Skills, values and attitudes to be integrated into school curriculum for internalizing human rights concepts are enumerated in a table on pages 141-142. The Social Studies concepts are the same as those to be integrated for Languages (see column for Languages). These concepts may be simultaneously introduced into the Languages and Social Studies subjects at every grade level. Skills, values and attitudes would be integrated into the existing school curriculum without effecting changes in it. By focusing on the concepts to be woven in, lessons would be picked up from the various subjects into which they could suitably be incorporated into. The improvement being envisioned is that no matter which subject or theme is to be integrated, the basic practices to be developed would be inquiry-based learning and critical thinking. The progression of each concept has to be clearly kept in view while integrating the skills, attitudes and values into lesson plans so that awareness of the concepts increases, according to grade level. [TABLE] Skills, values and attitudes to be integrated into school curriculum for internalizing human rights concepts India The Indian participants (Prof. S. Nagpal,[16] Dr. G. K. Joneja,[17] Ms. Seema Srivathava,[18] Dr. S. Fawzianadeem[19]) involved in developing the school curriculum in India and emphasized the need to integrate human rights education both in the school and in the teacher education curriculum. A study on the experience on values education in a private school was also presented in the workshop. India is a free nation with a rich history, an extraordinary complex cultural diversity, and a commitment to democratic values and well being for all. The National Policy of Education of 1986 proposed a national curriculum framework as a means of evolving a national system of education, and recommended a core component derived from the vision of national development enshrined in the Constitution. In 2005, the National Curricular Framework was adopted (NCF 2005) with the broad aim of maintaining an education system guided by the constitutional vision of India as a secular, egalitarian and pluralistic society, and founded on the values of social justice and equality. NCF 2005 was prepared with the help of a National Steering Committee, which was supported by 21 national focus groups dealing with 21 core themes:
School ethos is discussed as a dimension of the curriculum as it predisposes the child towards the aims of education and strategies of learning necessary to succeed in school. As a resource, school time need to be planned locally and in a flexible manner - flexible school calendars and timetables which permit time slots of different lengths required for different types of activities such as project work and outdoor excursion to natural and heritage sites. In the context of systemic reforms, NCF 2005 emphasizes strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by having more streamlined approach that encourages community participation as a means of enhancing quality education and accountability. Further, there is need to reconceptualize textbooks, teacher handbooks and other materials based on new perspectives and use of interactive technologies. There is also a need to use productive work as pedagogic medium in school curriculum from pre-primary to secondary stages, and emphasize vocational education to a great extent. Examination reforms highlight shift from content-based testing to problem-solving and competency-based assessment and examinations of shorter duration, with flexible time limits. NCF 2005 highlights the significance of partnership between schools and civil society groups (NGOs, etc.). In teacher education, radical steps are required to reverse the recent trends toward the dilution of professional norms, and ensure professionalism and accountability. Pre-service training programs need to be more comprehensive and lengthy, incorporating sufficient opportunities for observation of children and interaction of pedagogic theory with practice through school internship. Human rights education in schools is made possible through all the school activities including subjects of teaching, morning assembly, literary activities, sports, performing arts, cultural activities, social service programs and school celebrations. The components of human rights education are emphasizing three aspects, i.e., knowledge, attitudes and practice. The learning of the three aspects begins very early as children. Therefore, they experience human rights and learn to respect human rights both in school and out of school. Of course, formal knowledge about human rights can be imparted slowly at higher (secondary) stage. Before that it is important to educate students about human rights through various school practices both related to direct subject teaching and development of non-cognitive areas of learning emphasizing personal and social growth. In this way, the students would be able to develop human rights-related attitudes and values such as equality, co-operation, scientific temper, humanism, service to others, peace, understanding and respect for cultural differences and pluralism, democratic participation, spirit of respect and caring for elders, physically challenged, the disadvantaged. In India, many schools are directly and indirectly imparting education for human values of which human rights education forms a part. The development of attitudes and some knowledge about human rights can be seen in the curriculum, teaching strategies adopted in the classes, all the school activities, and ethos. Some of these are summarized in the table below.
Pre-requisites for human rights education in schools The school management must take interest in the school offerings and encourage the principal, teachers and students to plan activities to promote human rights. Sports, games and all the other school activities must ensure maximum student participation in order to promote the concept of equality, justice, etc. The students need to be provided opportunities to work together and relate meaningfully to the world they live in through activities related to science, environment, history, art and culture, etc. The role of schoolteachers, principal, parents should be articulated strongly in undertaking human rights education in schools. Human rights education in schools and teacher training institutes Human rights education needs a multipronged approach. Schools, teachers, parents, communities, teacher-training institutes and all scholars of society have to work together in creating a multiplier effect in spreading human rights awareness. Teacher education institutes on primary education are involved in training, material development, and research activities in school education. The present curriculum of Elementary Teacher Education Diploma for two years has about 32 papers including sociological foundation papers, content and others like Educational Technology, Work Experience, Art Education, Health and Physical Education, Population Education, Value Education, etc. Interestingly the course has one optional paper ‘Value Education’ which includes many areas of human rights education. Some examples of the curriculum of primary teacher education courses, subjects (social studies), activities, and exercises are narrated below. Unless prospective teachers are sensitized and trained by teacher educators on human rights education, it may not percolate/filter down to school practices. Different exercises, projects, assignments etc., can be included to make it interesting and applicable to real life situations. Hence the curriculum at teacher-training level needs to be analyzed in this light and teacher educators trained to practice it in real situations. Interesting action researches, projects and assignments can be included in the curriculum with objective assessment criteria for the actual implementation of human rights practices at school level. Efforts should be made to integrate different aspects human rights education (components of UDHR and CRC) in the present curriculum of teacher training. 1. Value Education (Elementary Teacher Education) – 2nd Year The Elementary Teacher Education Curriculum has a paper on value education, which has significant coverage on human rights education. (See details below) This paper is taught in the second year of Elementary Teacher Education program. It is very important to stress that this paper is taught as an optional paper. Hence, it is the prerogative of student-teachers to opt for this paper or not. Therefore, also, there is a need for either a compulsory paper on human rights or the integration of human rights across the theory papers and practical activities.
2. Child Development – 1st year Nature and approaches to understand Child Development CRC can be included to throw light on what are child rights and how they can be protected, how they are violated, and who to contact in case of violation. Methodology → Situations → Classroom/school situations, community, parents, faculty, peer group, teachers, etc. Situations can be given to children in different groups. On given situations the children can be asked to respond and react and then ideal strategy/solutions can be given. E.g. Matching/Batching can be done (column I - human rights and column II - situation) Foundation Papers:
Human Needs Economics - Class IX – X Human-rights-related UNIT- I Economy → Classification of economies into developed, developing, underdeveloped categories Classification on the basis of stages of development, character of economic activities (agrobased/industrialized) The origin of human rights phenomenon explained in a historical perspective. Examples: Discussion on the following historical periods in relation to human rights
Population → Growth, causes, density, per capital income, standard of living/quality of life. →Status of unemployment (global perspective) – relate with human rights à Right to employment → Right to health “Developing Training Inputs to Key Persons for the Psycho-Social Development of SC/STs” Primary Level - Storytelling Language - Lessons Debates - Human rights, girlchild, friendship, human spirit on any current issue - terrorism, population explosion, pollution Essay writing - current status of women, role of women’s “empowerment” in the nation Discussions Stories Dramas, role play Self-confidence, self-expression, equality, self-discipline, human rights, universal fellowship, humanism Self-confidence - Learning to construct knowledge through observation, inquiry, experimentation, honesty, and truthfulness in reporting observations, perseverance, protection of environment (directly related to the rights of those affected) Perseverance - Continuous effort to achieve the outcome desired (application to human rights) - problem solving ability - application of knowledge to life, solve dayto- day problems Water - resource management, conservation, distribution wastage, encroachment on rights of others Logical reasoning is the basis of self-confidence. Therefore, self-confidence is aimed at developing ability to exercise rights. Primary level - appreciation of nature, development of scientific temper and attitudes through curiosity and creativity. Human rights education can be integrated in the following subjects:
Other components in the school system: some suggestions
The workshop was indeed an exercise on sharing ideas and experiences. It also helped stress the importance of having explicit, if not comprehensive, inclusion of human rights into the school subjects. Some participants shared their games and songs including a song about child rights used in teacher training in Nepal. See Annex 1 for the English version of the song sung by SR Bista during the workshop. Some issues
Discussions during the workshop revealed a number of important issues relevant to the content, process of development and support system for the integration of human rights education into the school curriculum.In the context of South Asia, the concept of fulfilling one’s duty as a primary concern is a major issue on human rights discussions. Mahatma Gandhi’s 1947 letter to UNESCO[20] commenting on the draft Universal Declaration of Human Rights is often cited as an endorsement of the duty-first concept. The workshop discussions however showed a change of perspective. One questioned the fairness of this concept as applied to the Dalits, who are relegated to serving upper castes. And a new view was explained saying that one’s duty cannot be performed well unless one’s human rights are respected. The discussions on the duty-first concept are important in talking about human rights contextualized in the South Asian sociocultural terrain. The current trend among the countries in South Asia, as in other countries in Asia as a whole, is to emphasize language and computer technology in the school curriculum. Parents demand that their children learn English in school as early as possible, and that they also learn communication and information technology in order to equip their children with skills useful for their work in the future. While learning English is important, the question is when should it start? English-language teaching at the primary level may go against the view that learning is more effectively acquired through mother-tongue instruction. These discussions relate to the role of school in learning about human rights. Can school curriculum accommodate human rights education in the context of the demand for greater emphasis on language and communications technology education? Or will issues such as human rights fit into a curriculum that emphasizes learning for future work? Increasing human rights awareness of students is not a monopoly of schools. This was revealed in a survey done in the Philippines and India. The family remains to be a major source of such awareness. The survey likewise shows that children who go to public schools in areas where human rights violations are rampant have higher human rights awareness. This supports the notion that those who suffer from human rights violations are likely to have higher human rights awareness. From this perspective, harnessing the human rights awareness of students and steering it towards a more complete and meaningful understanding and practice of human rights within the school and beyond is a challenge to be faced. In support of the proper and effective implementation of school curriculum that integrates human rights education, the teacher education curriculum must likewise have human rights education. Those who are training to become teachers should have the proper knowledge, attitude and skills required for human rights education. Thus a parallel effort at integrating human rights education into the teacher education curriculum is needed to ensure that teachers can facilitate human rights learning. Endnotes
1. The participants from Pakistan consisted of a school principal in a public school and a teacher in a private school.2. Invited participants from Bangladesh could not attend due to difficulties in securing official permission as public officials to travel outside the country. There could have been participants from Maldives if not for budgetary limitation. 3. Mr. Yoshio Kawashima was not able to go to Delhi due to other commitments. A staff of HURIGHTS OSAKA read the opening message on his behalf. 4. The two instruments are the following: South Asian Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution (January 2002), and the SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements for the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia (January 2002). 5. This survey involves 4 countries (India, Japan, Philippines and Sri Lanka) which are assumed to have considerable experience in implementing human rights education programs in schools. 6. Deputy Director, Teacher Training Section, National Center for Educational Development (NCED), Ministry of Education and Sports, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal. 7. Deputy Director, Department of Education (DOE), Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal. 8. The situation in Nepal improved in May 2006 when the parliament was restored and a ceasefire was declared between the government and the Communist Party of Nepal. 9. Annual Work Plan and Budgets of the Department of Education. In the current fiscal year, 2062/063, the government allocated the budget of 36.1 million Nepali rupees (over 500,000 US dollars) in SESP and 4.6 million Nepali rupees (over 65,000 US dolars) in Education-For-All programs. 10. Head, Primary education, Curriculum Development Division I, National Institute of Education, Maharagama, Sri Lanka. 11. Project Officer, Department of Social Sciences, National Institute of Education, Maharagama, Sri Lanka. 12. Headmistress, Government Girls Syed Baz Mohd. Shah School, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. 13. Representing Grammar School Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 14. National Plan of Action for Human Rights Education, Ministry of Education, Islamabad, pages 4-5. 15. Ibid., page 5. 16. Ibid., page 4. 17. Department of Psychology and Educational Foundation, National Council of Educational Research and Training. 18. Reader, Department of Psychology and Educational Foundation, National Council of Educational Research and Training. 19. Lecturer in Education, District Institute of Education and Training. 20. Lecturer in Education, Department of Educational Foundation, Jamia Millia Islamia. 21. Letter of Mahatma Gandhi to Dr. Julian Huxley, then Director General of UNESCO. Annex 1
Note: This is the English translation of a Nepali song written by Mr. Soviet Ram Bista and used in the Child-Friendly School training program in Nepal. The training program started in April 2005 and continues till the present. It is supported by Save the Children Norway. |
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