What is human rights education?

What is human rights education?

Human Rights Education (HRE) is learning that develops the KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and VALUES of human rights with the broad goal of building a universal human rights culture.  In other words, students should be aware of the issues, concerned by the issues, and capable of standing up for human rights. Human rights education will move students from understanding human rights concepts to examining their experiences from a human rights perspective and incorporating these concepts into their personal values and decision-making processes.


 The following is a general breakdown of the the objectives of human rights education:

Human rights education framework

Many teachers often deal with aspects of human rights without giving it that name. HRE provides a common framework through which different subject matters may be taught in relation to one another. The topics of globalization, the environment, peace, citizenship, gender equality, democracy, poverty, and intercultural relations all address human rights issues and attempt to build a culture that respects human rights. Rather than teaching about these subject matters in isolation, using a HRE framework provides educators and students with a shared value system through which all subjects intersect.




Source: http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/what_is_human_rights_education

Why teach human rights in schools?

The short answer is that human rights are part of a child’s everyday life and schools have a responsibility to enable children to make sense of the world around them. Knowing about rights and responsibilities, understanding what they are, and learning how they have been struggled for and sustained are important elements in the preparation of all young people for a life in a democratic and pluralistic society. Children of all ages express concerns or outrage at events or situations which they see as unjust in their own lives and the wider world. Human rights education (HRE) can build on that understanding of injustice and sense of fair play and can explore why certain behavior is unfair.

The concepts taught in HRE are universal. There are violations of human rights all around us. We see and/or experience societal problems such as homelessness, racial discrimination, and intolerance on a daily basis. Students enter the classroom with their own prejudices and biases which can prevent them from viewing a societal problem with an open mind. It is the job of a human rights educator to first assess their own prejudices and biases and then to assist students in the great task of opening their minds to new ways of seeing the complexity of the challenges faced in our communities and the world.

Benefits of human rights education

Human rights education teaches students not only about their rights but also their responsibilities. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we do not infringe upon the rights of others. For example, the right to freedom of expression also carries with it the responsibilities not to hurt, insult, or incite others to prejudicial behavior. Through HRE, teachers can instill in students a sense of respect toward other human beings and inspire them to become, in their own right, educators and activists who will assist in the defense of human rights. Human rights education:

• Produces changes in values and attitudes
• Produces changes in behavior
• Produces empowerment for social justice
• Develops attitudes of solidarity across issues and nations
• Develops knowledge and analytical skills
• Produces participatory education.

Source:http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/why_teach_human_rights.html

Alumna: Lucía Fernández