Human Rights Education in Primary and Secondary School Systems: A Self-assessment Guide for Governments

48 Pages·0.711 MB·English

by  United Nations.

Human Rights Education in Primary and
Secondary School Systems:
A Self-assessment Guide for
Governments

New York and Geneva, 2012
NOTE

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or
concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

*
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Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures.
Mention of such a figure indicates a reference to a United Nations document.

HR/PUB/12/8

© 2012 United Nations
All worldwide rights reserved
PREFACE

The international community has on many occasions—most recently, with the adoption
of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training on 19
December 2011—expressed its consensus on the importance of human rights education
as a process that builds knowledge, skills and attitudes prompting behaviour that
upholds human rights. In this sense, human rights education makes an essential
contribution to the protection of human rights and supports communities and societies
where the human rights of all are valued and respected.

This publication aims at assisting national authorities responsible for the school system
with practical guidance to integrate human rights education in primary and secondary
education. In particular, it will help them to assess where they stand, what they have
accomplished so far and what areas need further attention.

The initial concept of this Guide was developed in the context of the Inter-Agency
Coordinating Committee on Human Rights Education in the School System, a group of
representatives of 12 United Nations entities that worked together, from 2007 to 2010, to
contribute to a coordinated and coherent United Nations approach to strengthening
national capacities in this area, increasing cooperation among international actors and
promoting a sustained political commitment to human rights education, including follow-
up within the framework of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005–
ongoing). The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), both members of the Committee, took up this project and brought it to
completion.

The Guide builds on the Plan of Action for the first phase (2005–2009) of the World
Programme for Human Rights Education, developed by experts and practitioners in
human rights education in primary and secondary schools. While the first phase ended
in 2009, numerous challenges remain and the World Programme, therefore, encourages
Member States to continue their efforts to implement human rights education in primary
and secondary school systems.

The development of this Guide has also benefited from the expert input of EQUITAS -
International Centre for Human Rights Education and from the review by various
practitioners.

OHCHR and UNESCO hope that this self-assessment guide will help Member States to
increase teaching and learning about human rights throughout primary and secondary
education, as a key component of achieving quality education for all.

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Contents
Page
Preface........................................................................................................................... iii

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

I. THE INITIAL SITUATION ANALYSIS OF HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION .................. 7
A. What is a situation analysis? ................................................................................... 7
B. How to carry out a situation analysis ...................................................................... 8
C. Where to go from here? ........................................................................................ 11

II. SELF-ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS
EDUCATION STRATEGY ............................................................................................. 12
A. Planning for human rights education self-assessment: a detailed work plan ......... 12
B. Issues and questions for human rights education self-assessment........................ 21

III. ONLINE EVALUATION RESOURCES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION .......... 38
A. United Nations documents and resources ........................................................... 38
B. General educational evaluation resources .......................................................... 38
C. Education policies ............................................................................................... 40
D. Policy implementation ......................................................................................... 41
E. The learning environment ................................................................................... 41
F. Teaching and learning processes and tools ........................................................ 42
G. Education and professional development of teachers and other educational
personnel ............................................................................................................ 44
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Introduction

Why promote human rights education in the school system?
The international community has
Defining human rights education and a
increasingly expressed
human rights-based approach to education
consensus on the crucial
Based on international human rights instruments,
contribution of human rights
human rights education (HRE) can be defined as
education (HRE) to the
education, training and information aimed at building
realization of human rights as
a universal culture of human rights through the
well as to the long-term
sharing of knowledge, imparting of skills and
prevention of human rights
moulding of attitudes to prompt action directed at
abuses and violent conflicts.
strengthening respect for human rights, fundamental
Provisions on HRE, and in freedoms, tolerance, equality and peace, among
particular within the school individuals, within societies and among nations.
system, have been incorporated
Such education requires the adoption of a human
into many international
rights-based approach to education, which
instruments, including the
promotes both ―human rights through education‖,
Universal Declaration on Human
ensuring that all the components and processes of
Rights, the International
education—including curricula, materials, methods
Covenant on Economic, Social
and training—are conducive to the learning of human
and Cultural Rights, the
rights, and ―human rights in education‖, ensuring that
Convention on the Rights of the the human rights of all members of the school
Child, the Convention on the community are respected and human rights are
Elimination of All Forms of practised within the education system.
Discrimination against Women,
See Plan of Action for the first phase (2005-2009) of the World
the UNESCO Convention
Programme for Human Rights Education, paras. 3, 4 and 17.
against Discrimination in
Education, and the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action.1
In the school system HRE is an important component of the right to education, as it
enables the education system to fulfil its fundamental aims of promoting the full
development of the human personality and appreciation of human dignity, of
strengthening respect for human rights2 and of delivering a quality education for all.
In this sense, HRE contributes to improving the effectiveness of the education
system as a whole, which in turn contributes to a country’s economic, social and
political development by providing:

1 For a more comprehensive list, see the Plan of Action for the first phase (2005–2009) of the
World Programme for Human Rights Education, paras. 10–14. Available from
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/planaction.htm.
2 See Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 1 (2001) on the aims of
education.
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 Improved quality of learning achievements by promoting child-centred
and participatory teaching and learning practices and processes, as well
as a new role for the teaching profession;
 Increased access to and participation in schooling by creating a human
rights-based learning environment that is inclusive and welcoming and
fosters universal values, equal opportunities, respect for diversity and
non-discrimination;
 A contribution to social cohesion and conflict prevention by supporting the
social and emotional development of the child and by introducing
democratic citizenship and values.3

The World Programme for Human Rights Education
In 2004, the international community launched the World Programme for Human
Rights Education (2005–ongoing) to advance the implementation of HRE
programmes in all sectors and as a follow-up to the United Nations Decade for
Human Rights Education (1995–2004), and decided to focus its first phase (2005–
2009) on the integration of HRE in the primary and secondary school systems. A
related plan of action was adopted in 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly.
The Plan of Action encouraged Member States to follow a four-stage process to
integrate HRE in the school system:

 Stage 1: Analysing the current situation of HRE in the school system
(Plan of Action, para. 26, stage 1)
Actions
• Address the question: Where are we?
• Collect information on and analyse the following:
– Current situation of the primary and secondary school system, including the situation of
human rights in schools;
– Historical and cultural backgrounds that may influence HRE in the school system;
– HRE initiatives, if any, in primary and secondary school systems;
– Achievements and shortcomings of and obstacles to initiatives undertaken within the
United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995–2004;
– Involvement of various actors, such as governmental institutions, national human rights
institutions, universities, research institutes and non-governmental organizations, in HRE
in the school system;
– Good HRE practice existing at national and regional levels;
– Role of similar types of education (education for sustainable development, peace
education, global education, multicultural education, citizenship and values education)
that may exist in the country.
• Determine which measures and components of HRE exist already, based on the reference tool
provided in the appendix [to the Plan of Action]. Other elements for the analysis would be the
national reports to the United Nations treaty bodies, as well as reports produced within the

3 See Plan of Action, para. 19.
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framework of the Decade at national and international levels.
• Identify key features and areas by analysing and determining advantages, disadvantages, as
well as opportunities for and limitations to HRE in the school system.
• Draw conclusions on the state of existence and implementation of HRE.
• Consider how to build on advantages and lessons learned, and how to use opportunities.
• Consider changes and measures that are necessary to deal with disadvantages and limitations.

Outputs
• National study on HRE in the primary and secondary school systems.
• Wide dissemination of the results of the study at the national level through, for example,
publications, a conference or public debate to elaborate orientations for the national
implementation strategy for HRE in the school system.

 Stage 2: Setting priorities and developing a national implementation
strategy4 (Plan of Action, para. 26, stage 2)
On the basis of the situation analysis of the current status of HRE in the national school system:
Actions
• Address the question: Where do we want to go and how?
• Define a mission statement, that is, the basic goal for implementing HRE in the school system.
• Fix objectives using the appendix [of the Plan of Action] as a reference.
• Set priorities on the basis of the findings of the national study. These priorities may take into
consideration the most pressing needs and/or the opportunities available.
• Focus on issues potentially leading to impact: What can we really do?
• Give priority to measures that will secure sustainable change vis-à-vis ad hoc activities.
• Set the direction of the national implementation strategy and link objectives with available
resources, by identifying:
– Inputs: allocation of available resources (human, financial, time);
– Activities (tasks, responsibilities, time frame and milestones);
– Outputs: concrete products (for example, new legislation, studies, capacity building
seminars, educational materials, revision of textbooks, etc.);
– Outcomes: achieved results.

Output
A national implementation strategy for HRE in the primary and secondary school system that
identifies objectives and priorities.

 Stage 3: Implementing and monitoring (Plan of Action, para. 26, stage 3)
Actions
• The guiding idea should be: getting there.
• Disseminate the national implementation strategy.
• Initiate the implementation of the planned activities within the national implementation strategy.
• Monitor the implementation using fixed milestones.

4 In this Guide, the ―national implementation strategy‖ is referred to as the HRE strategy.
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Output
Depending on the priorities of the national implementation strategy, outputs can be, for instance,
legislation, mechanisms for coordination of the national implementation strategy, new or revised
textbooks and learning materials, training courses, participatory teaching and/or learning
methodologies or non-discriminatory policies protecting all members of the school community.

 Stage 4: Evaluating (Plan of Action, para. 26, stage 4)
Actions
• Address the question: Did we get there and with what success?
• Adopt evaluation as a method of accountability and a means to learn and to improve a possible
next phase of activities.
• Use self-evaluation as well as independent external evaluation to review implementation.
• Check the fulfilment of the set objectives and examine the implementation process.
• Acknowledge, disseminate, and celebrate the achievement of results.

Outputs
• National report on the outcomes of the national implementation strategy for human rights
education in the primary and secondary school system.
• Recommendations for future action based on lessons learned throughout the implementation
process.

As many relevant actors as possible should be involved in all four stages, not only all
relevant departments and agencies of ministries of education (or equivalent
institutions), but also national human rights institutions and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), teacher training institutions and related university faculties,
teachers’/pupils’/parents’ associations, educational research institutes, relevant
legislative bodies and so on.
The Plan of Action encourages Governments to improve the integration of human
rights education within the following five components of primary and secondary
schooling:
 Policies;
 Policy implementation;
 The learning environment;
 Teaching and learning processes and tools;
 Education and professional development of school personnel.
As recognized in the Plan of Action, the situation of HRE in school systems differs
from country to country. In some countries, there may be very limited focus on HRE.
In others, there may be activity at the local level but this may be diffuse and
uncoordinated because there is no national policy or plan of action. In other
countries, HRE may be very well supported from national to grass-roots levels.

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Purpose and structure of the Guide
Whatever the situation and context, developing or improving HRE should be on
each country’s education agenda, as highlighted above. Accordingly, it is
important that Governments should be able to measure their progress in integrating
HRE in the primary and secondary school systems through methodologically sound
self-assessment.
This Guide is designed to provide practical guidance to national education authorities
in order to plan and conduct a self-assessment to determine the degree of
integration of HRE into the school system and what additional actions and changes
are required to ensure HRE is fully integrated into policy and practice. This should
begin by measuring progress against an initial set of targets, as laid out in each
country’s education policies and national HRE strategy, if any.
The relevant national authorities may be the ministry of education in centralized
systems or a ―council‖ in a federal system or subnational entities. In this Guide,
―education authority‖ refers to any of these authorities that are responsible for
education policies and other related issues.
It is important to highlight that in many countries HRE and a human rights-based
approach to education are promoted in the context of related educational
efforts, including peace education, citizenship and values education, multicultural
education, global education or education for sustainable development, which often
include human rights principles in their content and methodologies. This should be
taken into consideration in the self-assessment, so that its findings duly reflect all
initiatives related to HRE.
The Guide is composed of two chapters corresponding to two levels of
assessment, depending on each country’s status of implementation:
 Chapter I - “The initial situation analysis of human rights education”.
For countries just embarking on the introduction of HRE into their
education system, this Guide offers assistance in undertaking an initial
HRE situation analysis, providing a brief overview or baseline of the
current state of HRE in order to prioritize needs and inform the
development of a national HRE strategy.
Chapter I aims at facilitating stage 1, i.e., the initial analysis of the current
situation, of the process proposed by the Plan of Action of the World
Programme.
 Chapter II - “Self-assessment of the implementation of a human
rights education strategy”. For countries that have already developed a
national HRE strategy and are implementing it, this Guide proposes a
more in-depth self-assessment of its implementation, to help
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Governments determine what they have accomplished and how they
intend to proceed in the future. It includes the following sections:
(a) How to plan the self-assessment
(b) How to address key issues and questions for each of the
following five components of primary and secondary schooling:
1. Policies
2. Policy implementation
3. The learning environment
4. Teaching and learning processes and tools
5. Education and professional development of school
personnel.
Chapter II aims at facilitating the monitoring and evaluation function
addressed in stages 3 and 4 of the process proposed by the Plan of
Action of the World Programme.

Chapter III of this Guide contains online United Nations documents and resources
relevant to HRE and human rights-based education and, in particular, other useful
online resources for the evaluation of HRE.
This Guide provides practical assistance to Governments in situation analysis and
self-assessment only—that is, tools to help the authorities assess the current
integration of HRE into the primary and secondary school systems. This Guide does
not include the development, implementation or revision of national HRE strategies;
related guidance is provided in the Plan of Action of the World Programme, and
chapter III of this Guide points readers to more extensive material.
Finally, it is important to note that national HRE strategies will differ from country to
country, with varying results, milestones and measures of progress depending on the
national context. This Guide provides general direction on the issues and questions
to be covered in a self-assessment; the authorities will need to adapt the material to
their particular context.
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