Human rights and responsibilities – part of the classroom fabric (Mar 2010)

Human rights and responsibilities – part of the classroom fabric (Mar 2010)

Lessons dedicated to human rights are important, but the educational power of a human rights approach lies in the use of the human rights framework as a constant reference point:

•    A negotiated rights and responsibilities agreement, mapped to relevant human rights and clearly posted and frequently used, to guide the behaviour of all in the learning setting;
•    A summary of human rights (based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and/or the Convention on the Rights of the Child), on the wall as a ready reminder of rights and responsibilities as students explore issues as part of the formal curriculum;
•    A standard check in learning inquiry templates: ‘Are there any human rights implications here?’, ‘Whose rights?’, ‘Which rights?’

At Bluestone School (Timaru), one of the more recent schools joining the Human Rights in Education initiative, principal Ian Poulter reports that ‘each class is setting up great wall displays, posters are being set up round the school, we are seeing student comment starting to appear in class blogs.’
Last Updated (Monday, 31 May 2010 10:27)