Can Human Rights Help Schools? Short Report on an Open Discussion among Practitioners and Researchers I. Introduction

Transcription

1 Can Human Rights Help Schools? Short Report on an Open Discussion among Practitioners and Researchers Sponsored by the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) and UGLOBE Friday, 23 June 2017, Utrecht University Museum I. Introduction Human rights are not just book knowledge Human rights offer a point of reflection and a language of engagement Start small but think big These were just some of the ideas circulated at the joint SIM-UGLOBE symposium Can human rights help schools? A conversation among Practitioners and Researchers that took place at Utrecht University Museum on 23 June This unique, cross-sector event was organized considering the Ministry of Education s decision to elevate the status of Citizenship Education in the Dutch curriculum. This subject includes the theme of human rights, although it is not well developed. The main aim of the Symposium was to bring together researchers and practitioners to find a way forward in promoting human rights/human rights education meaningfully in Dutch schools. Although the title left open the question of if a human rights framework could bring added value to students and teachers experiences in schools, the anticipation was that the collective experiences and wisdom of participants would reveal promising avenues. Over a dozen researchers and practitioners involved in efforts to promote human rights and coexistence in Dutch primary and secondary schools shared their relevant experiences and perspectives on if and how the integration of human rights values and standards might assist in ensuring active citizenship and an inclusive and justice-centered education for Dutch. Researchers from the University of Utrecht, University College Roosevelt and College voor de 1

2 Rechten van de Mens shared their scholarship, and school-level know-how came from the Peaceable Schools Network, Amnesty International, the Anne Frank House, Critical Mass and the UNESCO and UNICEF Dutch committees. It was an illuminating interchange between presenters and the audience. Four short panels were organized around the intersecting themes of classroom practices; curriculum; teacher preparation; and school partnerships. Each panel had two persons each one representing research/academia and the other a field-based practitioner. Panelists collectively presented many ways of understanding the potential for human rights values and standards to assist schools in providing a quality education and to contribute positively to a Dutch society based on active participation, inclusion and respect for human dignity. These were the presenters and the panels: Welcome: Prof. Sybe de Vries, Utrecht University Law School Introduction and Moderation: Dr. Felisa Tibbitts, Chair of Human Rights Education, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM), Utrecht University Panel 1. Classroom practice and Human Rights. Esther Polhuijs UNICEF Netherlands and drs. Bob Horjus, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences Panel 2. Curriculum and Human Rights Frauke de Kort, College voor de Rechten van de Mens and Kirsja Oudshoorn, Amnesty International-Netherlands Panel 3. Teacher Preparation and Human Rights Julia Sarbo, Anne Frank House and Silke Vogelsang, (former) teacher trainer at Hogeschool Utrecht and PhD candidate at University College Roosevelt Panel 4. School Partnerships and Human Rights Prof. em. Jan van den Akker, Netherlands UNESCO Committee and Luc Lauwers, Critical Mass (NGO) Concluding comments: Prof. Antoine Buyse, Director of the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) at Utrecht University Panelists were asked to present briefly on the following questions: How do the values and standards of human rights relate to what you already do? How might an increased emphasis on human rights make a meaningful contribution to schooling in the Netherlands, specifically addressing inclusion and active participation? This report does not present the individual contributions of panelists but instead synthesizes key results of the presentations and discussions. SIM and UGLOBE faculty are grateful for the panelists generosity in sharing their time and experience. II. Background on Human Rights Education Prof. Sybe de Vries s welcome and opening comments helped to set the stage for the Symposium. He noted that education has a crucial role to play in the protection and promotion of human rights, which is even more important in a time where respect for human rights seems to be waning. According to the United Nations, education is a fundamental human right and 2

3 essential for the exercise of all human rights. Human rights education (HRE) is an intrinsic component of a quality education. Yet, research has shown that Dutch students know very little about human rights. The Ministry of Education has called for an increased status of Citizenship Education in Dutch schools as part of reform efforts in curriculum. This means that citizenship education should be taught in schools, and human rights included as a topic. The wider context for this curriculum development are conditions of schools, where diversities of all kinds are now the norm. Dutch schools must work positively to promote student inclusive and active participation in Dutch society, ensuring the human dignity of all learners. So, what does human rights + schools mean? How might human rights be presented in the curriculum? More importantly, how might it be meaningfully integrated so that it makes a difference in the lives of students, teachers and other members of the school community? Following Prof. de Vries s presentation, Dr. Felisa Tibbitts provided background information on international policies pertaining to human rights education. HRE has had an increasing presence in United Nations (UN) and regional policies over the past 20 years. In 2011 the UN General Assembly passed a Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training which requires all Member States to provide access to HRE. Other bodies are also calling for HRE. The Council of Europe has a Charter on EDC and HRE. Recently the Sustainable Development Goals includes within its education goals a specific section 4.7, which requires Education for Sustainable Development, within which one can find a reference to HRE. Moreover, UNESCO s Global Citizenship Education (GCED) conjoined with SDG 4.7 includes knowledge about human rights, human rights values, and efforts to promote global justice as central to GCED. The UN and other stakeholders are now in the process of identify measurements that States can use to track their success in fulfilling these goals. And the Dutch government is now calling for citizenship education, one that incorporates HRE. The UN defines HRE as follows: Human rights education and training comprises all educational, training, information, awareness-raising and learning activities aimed at promoting universal respect for and observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and thus contributing, inter alia, to the prevention of human rights violations and abuses by providing persons with knowledge, skills and understanding and developing their attitudes and behaviours, to empower them to contribute to the building and promotion of a universal culture of human rights. An important aspect of this definition is the distinction between education about through and for human rights. (a) Education about human rights, which includes providing knowledge and understanding of human rights norms and principles, the values that underpin them and the mechanisms for their protection; 3

4 (b) Education through human rights, which includes learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners; (c) Education for human rights, which includes empowering persons to enjoy and exercise their rights and to respect and uphold the rights of others. What does this mean for Dutch schools? It first means that we are not only speaking about learning human rights laws but considering how human rights principles and values might influence what takes place in schools. We are speaking about building a human rights culture in schools. If the new citizenship education law will place new demands on teachers and schools, how will they respond? What do schools and teachers want? How can HRE help them to fulfill the mission of schools, to deliver quality education to all? Can human rights help Dutch schools? III. Results of the Symposium Following these introductory remarks, each of the panels took place, including presentations and discussion. Rather than present key points made by each of the speakers, this section of the report synthesizes the rich ideas shared according to the following themes: - What quality human rights education looks like - How human rights education can help teachers, schools and communities - Pragmatic policy considerations for promoting HRE - How to sustain any HRE effort We have referenced comments made by individual panelists within these four broad themes. A. What does quality human rights education look like? Although not discussed explicitly in the Symposium, we might consider that quality HRE would be consistent with the aims and qualities set out in UN documents, as well as standards normally applied in the education systems when assessing a well-designed curriculum effort. 1.Human rights education could include content such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and children s rights but it cannot just be about content. HRE needs to have a participatory, experiential element. (Horjus, Polhuijs, Lauwers) Pedagogically speaking, rather than begin human rights education with a reference to concepts, engage learners with real life examples of when human rights have been violated, such as the story of Anne Frank s family in the Netherlands during WWII. (Sarbo) 2.The treatment of human rights in Dutch schools should not be restricted to international events -- human rights violations over there -- or a global perspective. The human rights lens needs to be applied to domestic issues. (de Kort) 3.Quality human rights education includes a focus on the treatment of human rights values. Such values include respect and tolerance, which are essential for learning to live together. Dealing with diversity in the classroom is a method in which common values are explored and genuine understanding is put into practice. (Oudshoorn, Vogelsang, de Kort) 4

5 4.When thinking about the mandate to promote active citizenship and social integration, we should be careful not to promote Dutch values only from a white Dutch perspective, which could be perceived as socially exclusive. Instead, framing Dutch values in the context of a human rights would foster a mutual exchange and respect among individuals from different backgrounds. (de Kort) 5.It is important to present the political dimension of human rights, including how the human rights framework is used (or might be used) in discussing current issues. (Oudshoorn, de Kort, Vogelsang) 6.Human rights education is ideally promoted throughout school life and in all years of education, beginning already at the primary school level. (Sarbo, Horjus, van den Akker) The Peaceable Schools initiative successfully works at this school level. Whole school approaches with a human rights focus address areas such as governance, relationships, curriculum and extracurricular activities, and school environment. (Oudshoorn) Good examples of human rights-based approaches to schooling have been developed by Amnesty International, as well as by UNICEF. B. How can human rights education help teachers, schools and communities? There are different ways to consider how HRE might be relevant for Dutch schools. On the practice side of education, we might look to see that HRE addresses the needs and interests of learners, teachers and other members of the school community. From the human rights advocate side, relevant HRE will result in genuine improvements in the realization of human rights. Each of these dimensions emerged in the symposium. 1.The infusion of human rights into schools will contribute to the wider agenda of helping students to practice democracy in the schools, as with the Peaceable Schools initiative in over 800 schools in the Netherlands. (Horjus) The use of the UDHR and children s rights as a rational, comprehensible international social contract can help in the transfer of children s positive behaviors from classrooms to communities. 2.The moral development of children will be fostered through critical reflection on human rights values and what they mean for real life. (Horjus) Critical reflection by learner and teachers may help them in recognizing their own prejudices. (de Kort) 3.The human rights approach is a way to help teachers effectively carry out their roles in the classroom, including dealing with challenges of inclusion and discriminatory behavior. (Sarbo) 4.Human rights allows for the reframing of social issues from a human rights perspective. A human rights frame can help students to make connections between issues such as poverty and health. (Oudshoorn) 5.Practical knowledge of human rights combined with appropriate discussion techniques can help teachers in addressing sensitive and controversial topics and creating safe classroom environments. (de Kort, Oudshoorn, Vogelsang) 6.Learning human rights in schools is about practicing daily justice. (de Kort) 5

6 C. What are pragmatic policy considerations for promoting HRE? The discussion during the symposium did occasionally touch on the policy backdrop for HRE, including not only the Dutch context but also regional and international policies. 1.The values and standards of human rights should be integrated into the forthcoming kerndoelen/eindtermen of citizenship education. (de Kort) For example, human rights education goals could include knowledge of specific content such as the UDHR and critical reflection on its meaning for everyday life and Dutch society. (Horjus) 2.Dutch engagement with the United Nations and regional human rights instruments and bodies will be an added incentive to strengthen human rights education. Human rights education is part of the right to education. (de Kort) Human rights are also part of the core values of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. The Netherlands has UNESCO and UNICEF Committees and will be participating in the SDGs and the GCED Initiative. D. How can any human rights education effort be designed for sustainability? Many of the presenters had either studied or been directly involved in promoting sustainable education reform efforts. We can think about sustainability as a systems approach in terms of curriculum policy and all the supports necessary for such a policy to be implemented and thrive, including learning materials and teacher professional development. We might also think about systems at the school level, with different actors involved and supporting HRE in individual schools. 1.Dutch citizenship education standards should provide clear guidance that includes references to human rights and human rights education. (Buyse) This may have a ripple effect on teaching and learning resources, assessments as well as teacher preparation, which will help to implement and sustain quality human rights education. (Tibbitts) 2.Familiarize teachers with human rights, including specifically the history of human rights and children s rights, so that they can include this in their own teaching. (Polhuijs) Use of classroom volunteers for teaching human rights is less sustainable. 3. Do not isolate HRE as a (new, specific) subject but stimulate/invite teachers from many subjects to contribute to the aims of HRE. Ideally, the human rights vision should cut across all school subjects. (van den Akker) 4.A whole school approach to human rights helps the effort to be sustainable. Sustainability is fostered by working with a core team at the school that also includes school management. (Lauwers, Polhuijs) Conclusion In his concluding comments, Prof. Antoine Buyse noted that the Netherlands is in the forefront of human rights education given the notable efforts of those participating in the symposium. At the same time, the country is held back because it does not yet have a clear policy for human rights education in schools. Such a policy would send a strong signal for the important role that schools can play in promoting inclusive, democratic citizenship in the Netherlands, where the human dignity of all are respected. 6

7 The presenters agreed that a stronger national policy on Citizenship Education will create a wider space for the human rights framework to be applied in meaningful ways in the Dutch education system. The vision of human rights combined with practical tools and educator support will help teachers in dealing with diversity and schools in delivering an inclusive and quality education for all. 7