Human rights-based education: a professional focus (Apr 2010)

Human rights-based education: a professional focus (Apr 2010)

The defining essence of professional practice is that the work of the ‘professional’ involves a high degree of self-regulation based on
•    an organised body of expert and specialised knowledge
•    a high standard of ethics, altruism and commitment to the common good.

This involves an obligation for – as Robin Alexander, leader of the Cambridge Primary Review puts it – ‘teaching to be grounded in repertoire, evidence and principle rather than recipe.’

The professional teacher must have an extensive repertoire of skills and practices based on the available evidence on what best realises the right to education, and fundamental ethical principles. ‘The aims and principles proposed by the Review,’ said Alexander, ‘ unashamedly reflect values and moral purposes, for that is what education is about.’

The cross-culturally negotiated, internationally-agreed human rights framework is an indispensable part of the professional toolkit in the 21st century, because human rights-based education goes to the heart of the educator’s role:

•    Our schools and early childhood education services exist to help our young people realise human rights by giving them an education through which they develop their potential as human beings, and are able to participate and contribute in their communities.
•    The community expects centres and schools to equip young people to realise their rights to work, an adequate standard of living, health, participation in public life..., while respecting their rights to dignity, identity, safety, expression & participation, and fair treatment, etc.
•    The community expects centres and schools to help ensure that young people learn to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of others.
•    International law and New Zealand education policy requires development of ‘respect for human rights’ to be one of the core aims of education;  the New Zealand Curriculum expects respect for human rights to be evident in schools’ ‘philosophy, structures, curriculum, classrooms and relationships’ (p10)

Partners in Human Rights in Education recognise human rights as a global taonga to which New Zealand has made a significant contribution, and 'a common standard' for citizenship and our work in education.
Accepting their human rights responsibilities, they are guided by:
•    the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other human rights standards
•    human rights principles – including a commitment to the universality and indivisibility of rights, equity and non-discrimination, respect for diversity, participation and empowerment, responsibility and accountability, and those reflected in Te Tiriti o Waitangi
•    professional best practice in realising the right to education – including a commitment to integrity, excellence, inquiry and innovation.
They use the human rights framework explicitly and consistently to
•    focus on the right to education of every young person
•    develop respect for self, others and learning,
•    enable young people to be effective citizens of their school/centre and their local, national and  global communities, knowing and living their human rights and responsibilities.

The Teachers’ Code of Ethics closely reflects the principles and provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.