‘What difference does it make to be explicit about ‘human rights’? (Mar 2010)

‘What difference does it make to be explicit about ‘human rights’? (Mar 2010)

One of the common responses to learning about the Human Rights in Education initiative – from policy makers to education practitioners – is ‘We’re doing it all already’. And of course, New Zealand schools exist to fulfil human rights and there are many programmes that are designed to fulfil certain rights, ranging from education in general to student safety. The National Education Guidelines are admirably reflective of human rights aims.

But can schools be said to meet the New Zealand Curriculum requirement that ‘respect for human rights’ be ‘encouraged, modelled and explored’ – and can they be said to be fulfilling New Zealand’s international treaty obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights in education – if teachers and young people are not taught what these human rights actually are?

•    ‘Awareness of one’s rights is...a key element to achieving full enjoyment and protection of human rights’, said a UK government representative in support of the Draft Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training last week in the UN Human Rights Council.
•    Being explicit about what is to be learned is one of the key findings of a range of the Ministry’s Best Evidence Synthesis reports into effective pedagogy.

People cannot claim their rights and defend others’ rights if they do not know them. ‘Human rights’ is not a general concept like ‘social justice’. ‘Human rights’ is a coherent international normative framework of huge significance in a globalising world, and New Zealand has a clear obligation to ensure young New Zealanders learn about it. Under article 42 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, for example, NZ must ensure ‘by appropriate and active means’ that ‘the principles and provisions of the Convention  [are] widely known [by] adults and children alike’.

There is a wider reason to be explicit about human rights in the school setting as Human Rights in Education partners are discovering. Being clear about the human rights mission of the school, helps create a common sense of purpose in the school community, and coherence (a New Zealand Curriculum principle) amidst the myriad of otherwise fragmented programmes and processes of the school.

•    The school mission is realisation of every young person’s right to education
•    Learning rights and responsibilities is central to effective citizenship – one of the key aims of education. The human rights framework articulates the rights and responsibilities of citizens in and beyond the school.
•    The human rights framework can link powerfully formal classroom learning content across the curriculum, and with behaviour agreements, restorative practices, peer mediation programmes – and indeed almost everything that happens in the school.
•    Learning the cross-culturally negotiated and internationally-agreed human rights framework is a critical part of equipping young people to be effective global citizens.

‘A framework on which to base many school practices’
‘It ties everything together’
‘An umbrella that fits over everything that is in our school’
‘Makes our rules seem more meaningful to our students and staff’
‘Makes me think critically about some of the things I do in my classroom, especially some of the aspects of my behaviour management’
‘A real platform and real issues linking back to real life learning’
‘It has become a common framework for how we look at things.’
‘Such a key part of core business’

From a general education policy point of view, explicitly basing policy on the human rights framework would
•    reinforce its legitimacy because of the strong links to our national history, shared values and global standards;
•    encourage schools to become more aware of human rights and responsibilities, explore them, and by basing their work on human rights principles, reinforce good practice in teaching, ‘behaviour management’ and discipline, and human resource management –  assisting in meeting our accountabilities under international treaty arrangements and helping to support our claim to good international citizenship.