113 South Asia Workshop on Human Rights Education in … HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS ing areas from nine to five (English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science and MAKABAYAN)

� 113

HURIGHTS OSAKA organized the work-shop in partnership with the Centre for Peaceand Conflict Resolution of the Jamia MilliaIslamia in New Delhi, India.

Workshop objectives

The workshop, designed for curriculumdevelopers of the Ministry of Education, hadthe following objectives:

• To review international human rightsstandards, focusing on basic humanrights documents including the Univer-sal Declaration of Human Rights and theConvention on the Rights of the Child;

• To review experiences in India, Japanand the Philippines on integrating hu-man rights education into the schoolcurriculum;

• To undertake practical exercises on inte-grating human rights education into theschool curriculum.

Opening ceremonies

Mr. Yoshio Kawashima, Director ofHURIGHTS OSAKA,3 in his opening messagestressed the importance of sharing ideas andexperiences in the workshop. He said that while

this workshop is meant to train the participants,it is also significantly designed to facilitate the

South Asia Workshop onHuman Rights Education in Schools

HURIGHTS OSAKA

A workshop on integrating human rights education into the school curriculumwas held in New Delhi on 13-15 December 2005 with the participation ofcurriculum developers and other educators1 from the Ministries of Education

and government education institutes in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.2

exploration of their wisdom and experience. It istherefore our fervent wish that this short three-day gathering would focus on sharing of ideasand experiences, reflecting on them in light ofhuman rights principles, and developing samplecurriculums that integrate international humanrights standards.

Ms. Radha Kumar, Director of the Centrefor Peace and Conflict Resolution of JamiaMillia Islamia, lamented the increasing num-ber of human rights violations cases broughtabout by the “war on terror” as well as theweakening of the international human rightsinstitutions particularly the United NationsCommission on Human Rights. She stressedthe need for the strengthening of human rightseducation to counter this situation.

Workshop proceedings

The workshop proper started with the pre-sentation on the international and regionalcontexts of the workshop. Mr. Jefferson R.Plantilla of HURIGHTS OSAKA presentedsome of the international developments thatsupport human rights education including theUnited Nations (UN) Decade for HumanRights Education, the UNESCO conferencesand the UN World Programme for HumanRights Education. He pointed out that there

113

114 � HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

are also a number of regional activities such asthe annual workshop on Regional Coopera-tion for the Promotion and Protection of Hu-man Rights in the Asia-Pacific organized bythe Office of the UN High Commissioner forHuman Rights, and the Asia Pacific Forum ofNational Human Rights Institutions (APF) or-ganized by the national human rights institu-tions in the region. These two annual regionalhuman rights activities declare support for hu-man rights education. He also stressed thatSouth Asian countries under the South AsianAssociation for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) have signed two major human rightsinstruments (regarding women and girls4)which call for efforts to increase public aware-ness on human rights. He therefore empha-sized that the workshop supports all the inter-national, regional and subregional initiatives onhuman rights or human rights education.

Ms. Zenaida Reyes of the Philippine Nor-mal University, facilitated the session on theparticipants’ concerns or issues about humanrights. Most participants raised the problem ofmaking human rights a reality. They cite theobstacles toward the realization of human rightsin the school, at home, in the community andin the country as a whole. Some participantsexpressed concern about the lack of under-standing of duties in addition to the under-standing of human rights. Others expressed theproblem emanating from the education systemwhich is getting more competitive and focusedon language, mathematics and science and verylittle on social issues such as human rights. Theysee this situation as a major obstacle to inte-grating human rights education into the schoolcurriculum. The following issues came out inthe discussion

• Conflict between culture, rights, duties• Problem of adherence to human rights• Violence in schools between teachers and

students, including corporal punishment• Less integration between education poli-

cies and teacher education resulting in lackof simultaneous change in teacher educa-

tion whenever education policies arechanged

• Rights of teachers• Gap between human rights theory and

practice that should be filled• Lack of mention of human rights in the

textbooks• Inadequate funds for the education sys-

tem• Psychological background of human

rights problems• Training of teachers before introduction

of new curriculum• Need for teachers to share experiences,

rather than merely teach something,which inculcates the kind of attitude andawareness in students

• Discrimination against certain sections ofsociety

• Four major problems of school educa-tion - inequality, discrimination, non-useof mother tongue, non-realization ofeducation as fundamental right

• Social Justice• Skills that school education should pro-

mote - communication skills, computerliteracy

• Monitoring of violations of anti-discrimi-nation rules and inclusive education

• Human rights being part of educationand should not be isolated from otherparts of education.

Presentations on the Universal Declarationof Human Rights (UDHR) and Conventionon the Rights of the Child followed. The pre-sentation on UDHR by Mr. Plantilla stressedthe current context within which this interna-tional human rights document should be un-derstood. He stressed the continuing trendtoward greater freedom at various levels (selfto country) and the international human rightssystem that evolved. He noted that human his-tory has several trends such as the following:

• Discrimination (exclusion, distinction,restriction, preference) to Equality

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• Colonization to Independence (personalbondage to freedom; foreign occupationto national independence)

• Progression towards fulfillment of hu-man and community potentials (partici-pation, empowerment)

• Proper mix of traditional ideas withmodern international principles and pro-cedures (internationally agreed humanrights standards and processes)

• Protection (provision of remedies forviolations against human dignity)

• Promotion of “All Human Rights forAll.”

He also discussed the relationship betweengovernment and people in human rights terms.People (both as individuals and community)are rights-holders. They

• assert and realize their human rights• seek protection from human rights

violations• respect/support the rights of others.

While the government is the duty-bearerwhich should

• not hinder the exercise of human rights(negative role)

• support fulfilment of human rights(positive role) - special measures, positivediscrimination, affirmative action, legal/policy/program support.

The participants did a short exercise on re-organizing the manner by which the provisionsof UDHR were written, as a way to understandthe provisions. He also presented a possible wayof presenting the provisions of the UDHR(lifecycle approach) to emphasize the point thatthere can be different ways of understandinghuman rights beyond the usual civil-politicaland economic-social-cultural categorizations.He presented the principles that support thefull realization of human rights such as univer-sality, indivisibility, and interdependence ofhuman rights.

Mr. Abdulrahim P. Vijapur of Jamia MilliaIslamia discussed the Convention on the Rightsof the Child (CRC). He discussed the conceptof the rights of the child, and the history ofdrafting the CRC to address some of the ob-jections raised against it, and the particularrights provided for in the instrument. He citedthe 4 major principles in the CRC, namely,

• Non-discrimination (Article 2)• Best interest of the child (Article 3)• Right to life, survival and maintenance

(Article 6)• Respect for views of child (Article 14).

He presented the rights under CRC as fivesets of rights consisting of civil and politicalrights; rights relating to family environment andalternative care; basic rights of health and care;education, leisure and cultural rights; and rightsinvolving children under difficult circumstancesand in situation of emergency.

He also explained some problems relatingto the implementation of the CRC due to thenumber of reservations registered by manycountries, the delay in submission of countryreports to the Committee on the Rights of theChild, among others.

The experiences of India and the Philippineson integrating human rights education into theschool curriculum were presented by Mr. ArjunDev, formerly of the Indian National Councilfor Educational Research and Training(NCERT) and Ms. Lolita Nava of the Philip-pine Normal University respectively. Both pre-sentations pointed out specific subject areas thatcan be used to discuss human rights. They alsomentioned briefly the results of a multi-coun-try survey on educational policies and humanrights awareness of students.5

Ms. Nava pointed out the constitutional aswell as legal support for human rights educa-tion in Philippine schools. A number of ex-ecutive and administrative issuances have beenmade that support human rights education inschools. She also discussed the Basic Educa-tion Curriculum 2002 which reduced the learn-

South Asia Workshop on Human Rights Education in Schools


ing areas from nine to five (English, Filipino,Mathematics, Science and MAKABAYAN).The MAKABAYAN learning area includes So-cial Studies, Music, Arts, Physical Education,Technical and Livelihood Education and Val-ues Education. Most of the entry points onpeace and human rights concepts are in SocialStudies subject. She explained how humanrights are incorporated in the different subjectsin primary and secondary curriculums. She alsopresented a sample lesson plan on humanrights. She mentioned that there are severalgovernment projects on women, children andindigenous peoples which also provide avenuesfor teaching human rights. Finally she presentedsome highlights of the Philippine results un-der the 4-country survey on human rightsawareness of students. She mentioned theschool as being the primary source of knowl-edge on human rights, and that generally thestudents say they know human rights. But thisawareness of human rights does not seem toresult into human rights practice. Thus thereis a gap between the claim of human rightsawareness and practice. She also noted that stu-dents who come from areas where human rightsviolations are common seem to have higherlevel of human rights awareness.

Mr. Dev briefly discussed the developmentof the school curriculum in India from the1970s to late 1990s. The first curriculumframework was adopted in 1975 which was nota national one and was meant for the first 10years of education. In 1986 India had a land-mark document in the form of a comprehen-sive policy of education which gave structureto Indian education, this was the National Edu-cation Policy (NEP). It envisaged much moreclearly what should be the core ideological ori-entation of the school curriculum. He notedthat in the 1990s some ideas began to con-stantly change and in 2002 a new curriculumframework and new textbooks came out. In-between 2002 and 2004 there was a contro-versy involving the curriculum, which actuallystarted from 2000 onward. The controversy

involved the issue of saffronization that actu-ally meant colonization instead of seculariza-tion. Some of the political parties started re-versing the process of saffronization in 2004.In that year, when government changed, olderhistory textbooks which were thought to beagainst our national values were brought backand then a new curriculum was framed.

He said that human rights are not taught asa separate subject in the curriculum. Variouscomponents of human rights are reflected invarious subjects. The Indian school system hasa very rigid curriculum and whatever is pre-scribed in textbooks is taught in schools. Thereis less creativity on the part of the teacher inthis context. In most cases up to Grade X text-books are also prescribed for each board/schoolsystem. Similar approach is even followed incase of environmental education. Up to GradeX, all subjects are compulsory and two to threelanguages are taught. Everybody does math-ematics, science, physical education, and arteducation. At senior secondary level (GradesXI and XII), NCERT developed a core coursethat provides student with the freedom tochoose subjects. It may be possible to considerhuman rights within the subjects and an inte-grated view of school education curriculum maybe done up to Grade X. In subjects like his-tory, geography, language, one of the objec-tives is to develop a sense of critical thinkingamong the students towards their own coun-try. So in the case of human rights education,a critical view of society is being developed. Allhuman rights issues become part of the cur-riculum. The only thing needed to do is todevelop independent critical minds. If this isdone, there is education in human rights. His-tory is even full of instances of how Indiansfought against various injustices – e.g. underBritish rule rights were violated, the Indian free-dom movement was totally non-sectoral andfree from racial hatred of the English people.The Indian struggle for freedom is importantif it is taught to inculcate human rights to stu-dents. To understand the universality of hu-

� 117

man rights we need to understand the Indianfreedom movement and struggle.

History is capable of providing examples toconceptualize human rights. There is no schoolcurriculum in India, for example, which doesnot include post second World War racism.

At the primary level social studies subjectsinclude biographies of great people both In-dian and foreign like Martin Luther King, andAbraham Lincoln. A 1997 Commonwealthsurvey involving India, Zimbabwe, and somemore countries revealed that the Indian cur-riculum is the only major curriculum which hasincluded all aspects of human rights. The stu-dents’ performance level in India was muchmore than those in other countries. He like-wise presented some results of the India sur-vey, under the recent 4-country survey on hu-man rights awareness of secondary students.He noted that in some cases, students whocome from less developed areas and schoolsare much more aware of human rights.

Ms. Pranati Panda, Reader of the NCERT,made the final presentation dealing with theconcept of integration of human rights educa-tion into the school curriculum. She brieflypresented the definition of human rights edu-cation as formulated by the United Nations.She stressed that human rights education

• Produces changes in values and attitudes• Produces changes in behavior• Produces empowerment for social justice• Develops attitudes of solidarity across

issues and nations• Develops knowledge and analytical skills• Produces participatory education.

She emphasized that at the core of the rightto education is human rights education. Quot-ing Amartya Sen, she pointed out that thepreparation of the children for “responsible lifein a free society” can only happen when theyare made responsible in an environment wherethey experience freedom.

She mentioned the different integrationapproaches, the link between integration of

human rights education into the school cur-riculum with its integration into teacher edu-cation curriculum, the need to relate to issuesaffecting students, and the use of participatoryteaching/learning processes. A section of herpresentation was later used as a guideline forthe curriculum review exercise. On integrationshe presented the various approaches as follows:

Direct context: This involves inclusion ofspecific topics or subjects that focus onhuman rights into mathematics, science,or history subjects.

Indirect context: This involves the use ofall school subjects as vehicles for humanrights education. Some examples are (i)creating “learning units in humanrights” in order to integrate the contentof different subjects toward solving aparticular problem and (ii) includinghuman rights elements in every subject.

Implicit context: This involves the creationof a socio-cultural ethos in schools thatwill develop students’ understanding ofhuman rights.

She also explained the two perspectives ofintegration:

Curriculum – making a particular kind ofinterrelationship between subjectmatters; using a wide variety of ways ofcombining subjects; and blurring subjectmatter boundaries to pursue the topicsholistically (using real life problems). Inthis way the lessons and topics becomevehicles to convey human rights in ameaningful context.

Pedagogy - using the constructivistperspective that children constructknowledge holistically, when knowledgeis embedded in appropriate context itbecomes meaningful and enjoyable. Thepedagogy provides context andconnections to explore, think, reflect andinternalize knowledge.



Partici pants’ presentations

During the second half of the workshop,the participants reviewed their school curricu-lums and presented what could be done toimprove the integration of human rights edu-cation into the school curriculum. They wereprovided with the following guidelines, takenfrom the presentation of Ms. Panda, for devel-oping curriculum with human rights content:

• Integrate human rights more expresslyand comprehensively into the schoolcurriculum

• Emphasize the interconnected nature ofhuman rights and the interactionbetween human rights, peace,development and democracy

• Convey a balance between human rightsand responsibilities in keeping with theinternational standards and a sense ofuniversalism

• Promote a more bottom-up approachto human rights education by analyzingactual situations at the local level andusing them as entry points for humanrights principles and internationalinstruments

• Utilize active teaching methodologywhich sensitizes one’s conscience andinvolvement, include more“LEARNING BY DOING”,audiovisual techniques, ar tisticexpressions, field work and participationin community projects, while promotingmultilingual information andmultimodal methods.

They were also asked to make proposedhuman rights curriculum with the followingcharacteristics:

• Stage-specific outline using the cognitivedevelopment of children - preschool tosenior secondary

• Introduction of human rights insequential, coherent, systematic,progressing manner

• Human rights concepts linked withpresent situation.

NepalThe Nepali participants (Mr. Indra Bahadur

Shrestha6 and Mr. Soviet Ram Bista7) presentedthe problem posed by the current internalarmed conflict in Nepal which has been caus-ing not only damage to school facilities butdeath and physical injury to students, teachersand education officials. They proposed to makeall schools in Nepal as “Zones of Peace” inaddition to supporting students and teachersat the community level.

In their paper “Effect of Conflict in SchoolEducation” they state that Nepal is now facingan armed conflict situation, which has neverbeen experienced before.8 Since the conflictstarted in the mid-1990s, hundreds of thou-sands people have been affected badly acrossthe country. The conflict started in the mid-western part of Nepal, which is considerably apoor area compared to other parts of the coun-try. Communist insurgents have specifically tar-geted landowners, teachers, political leaders andother government employees. Most of the dis-placed people have either flocked to the maincities or fled to India. People who have beendisplaced are gathered in district headquarters,and big cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara,Nepalgunj, Surkhet, etc. Those who are dis-placed from their own villages, first stayed atdistrict headquarters and then moved to theurban areas. The conflict situation has affectedthe education service delivery system.

They mentioned that the fifth of the twelvestrategies adopted by the Dakar World Educa-tion Forum in 2000 explicitly focuses on therights of children in emergencies. This strat-egy stresses the importance of meeting. “…theneeds of education systems affected by con-flict, natural calamities and instability andconduct[ing] educational programs in ways thatpromote mutual understanding, peace and tol-erance, and that help to prevent violence andconflict”. They cited the call of Dakar Frame-

� 119

work for Action (UNESCO, 2009:9) for na-tional Education for All (EFA) plans to includeprovision for education in emergency situa-tions. Governments, particularly educationministries, have an important role to play in anarea that has often been dominated by the ac-tions of non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and United Nations agencies.

Most of the teachers in conflict-affected ar-eas have been threatened by the insurgents.Thousands of teachers and students are beingabducted. In this way the ongoing conflict inthe country has created a number of problemsin the urban/plain areas. Normally the class-rooms in the urban areas are already crowded.There is already severe shortage of teachers inthose areas. The influx of people from themountain and hilly areas coupled with displace-ment due to the conflict has further worsenedthe already ailing teaching/learning situationacross the country. This is particularly true indistricts with overcrowded classrooms such asBardiya, Banke, Kailali, Kanchanpur,Rupandehi, Morang, Jhapa, etc. Therefore,there is an urgent need to address the prob-lems by building additional classrooms andproviding the needed teachers. The insurgentsattack school buildings every now and then.Unilateral truce provides comparatively morepeaceful situation in the country.

The insurgency resulted into the following:1. Displacement of students and teachers2. Damage to school facilities3. Threats against and torture of teachers

and students4. Closure of schools for a number of days5. Hindered school management/moni-

toring/data collection/informationsystem, etc,

6. Hindered curriculum transaction.

Information on the effects of the conflicton school education are broadly categorizedinto five areas, i.e., damage to buildings, dam-age to other properties, teachers affected, stu-dents affected, and other personnel affected.

The particulars are given below:

The government has taken some steps toaddress the problem by collecting informationfrom the affected districts and regions in orderto assess the impact, allocating budget to assist

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despite the difficult situation. The soon-to-be-finalized National Curriculum Framework forprimary level (grades 1-12) has a provision sup-porting initiatives to address local needs. Thegovernment has formed a “Curriculum ReformRecommendation Committee” and the Com-mittee has submitted its report to MOES.

the affected people and to develop the schoolsas “zones of peace”,8 reviewing the nationalschool curriculum to make Sanskrit an optionalsubject in lower secondary level, reassigningteachers to safer areas, providing affected stu-dents scholarship to continue their study, andkeeping the schools open as much as possible

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� 121

They explained that the current school cur-riculum includes the teaching of human rightsin the form of rights provided for in the NepaliConstitution. The constitution guarantees thefollowing human rights of every citizen:

• Right to equality• Freedom of press and publication• Right against arbitrary dispersal of public

gatherings• Right to information• Right to property• Right to culture and education• Right against exploitation• Right to religion• Right to privacy• Right to constitutional remedies• Right against forced exile.

They also cite curricular objectives relatingto the study of human rights at different yearlevels:

Primary level objectives- students will be able to become awareand practice child rights and duties

Lower secondary level objectives- students will be able to become aware

about civic responsibilities and practicetheir rights and duties.

Higher secondary level- students will be able to know theconstitutional provisions on humanrights and duties.

In their proposal for integrating humanrights education into the school curriculum,they would like to take up issues such as thedevelopment of self-esteem, self-confidence andsense of nationalism, and also child abuse anddiscrimination. They would like to focus onrights that respect people, culture, democraticnorms and values, help the needy, and resolveconflict. These issues and human rights can beintegrated into language, social studies, creativearts, and physical education subjects for pri-mary level. Human rights relating to conflictresolution, privacy, inclusiveness, creation ofhuman rights community (in school) are pro-posed to be integrated in all subjects in thesecondary level curriculum.

Proposed human rights curriculum for pri-mary and secondary levels are provided hereon pages 94 and 95.

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Sri LankaThe Sri Lankan participants mentioned, as

a background, that a few years ago some teach-ers were protesting the teaching of humanrights in schools due to alleged rise of indisci-pline among the students, and likely also dueto fear that they were liable to be sued for theiractions to discipline students. The governmenthowever continued to support human rightseducation in Sri Lankan schools. The partici-pants proposed the integration of human rightseducation into the primary curriculum throughenvironment-related activities as well as sub-jects such as geography, civic education, sci-ence, esthetic education, and physical educa-tion. Environment-related activities can be usedto learn human rights principles such as non-discrimination and equality, freedom of expres-sion, right to culture, right to work, right toproperty, and equality before the law. In addi-tion to teaching human rights within the sub-jects, they can also be taught through ways ofteaching, and special projects (such as inclu-sive education, and education on other lan-guages - Tamil for Singhalese students orSinghala for Tamil students). For the second-ary level, the inclusion of human rights intothe civics and governance subjects will bestrengthened. Under the proposed civics andgovernance subjects, there is a specific topicon human rights and duties, as well as inclu-sion of human rights in other topics regardinggovernment, law, the economic system and in-ternational relations.

The Sri Lankan participants separately pre-sented the proposed integration of humanrights education into primary and secondarycurriculums.

Mr. Eriyagama Lekamalage Suranimala9

stressed that in integrating human rights con-cepts into the school curriculum, the follow-ing considerations were given weight:

- Stage of the child’s cognitivedevelopment and

- Stage of the child’s moral development.

He then explained how to introduce humanrights into the primary education curriculum,as in the following table.

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� 123

He also explained the three-dimensionmodel of introducing human right conceptsused in this sample curriculum, consisting of

• What we teach in classrooms(Curriculum)

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Integration of human rights concepts into environment-related activitiesGrades One and Two

1. First Dimension



Integration of human rights concepts into environment-related activitiesGrades One and Two (continuation of table)

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� 125

2. Second Dimension

Mr. Suranimala explained the second di-mension - Way of teaching – as

• Capacity-building of teachers, providingthem with the necessary information andtraining

• Improving the quality of teaching andlearning activities by letting studentsexperience the human rights concepts

• Listening to others• Sharing ideas.

3. Third Dimension

The third dimension involves special projectsto improve the situation by focusing on thefollowing:

• Education as a right of children• Essential learning competencies• Remedial teaching activities for slow

learners• Inclusive education for children with

disability• Teaching second national language -

Sinhala for Tamil students, Tamil forSinhala students.

Mr. Abeywickrama Liyanage SunilAbeywickrama10 explained the government ef-forts on human rights education and presentedthe integration of human rights into the sec-ondary curriculum through Civic Educationfor Grades 6 to 9 and Civics and Governancefor Grades 10 to 11.

He explained that the government of SriLanka is continuously accelerating the promo-tion of human rights education in both formaland informal education systems. The Ministryof Education and the National Institute of Edu-cation are jointly developing several programsrelating to curriculum development, pre- andin-service training, and awareness-raising in sup-port of human rights education. Human rightseducation has been included in the school cur-riculum more than two decades ago through

the National Curriculum (formal education). Itis now in the form of subjects on “Civic Edu-cation” and “Civics & Governance” for Grade6 -11 for secondary schools with major focuson CRC, UDHR and other human rights docu-ments, and relevant institutions involved in hu-man rights work. In addition, the governmentestablished a Ministry named Ministry of Disas-ter Management and Human Rights, which pro-motes human rights activities through compre-hensive programs that enhance community de-velopment.

The following national and international(intergovernmental and non-governmental)institutions promote human rights in SriLanka:

National Child Protection AuthorityCenter for the Study of Human Rights

(CSHR), University of ColomboChildren and Women BureauHuman Rights Commission of Sri LankaInstitute of Human RightsDepartment of Probation and Child Care

ServicesCaritas Sri Lanka (SEDEC)Lawyers for Human Rights and DevelopmentChristian Children’s FundHope for ChildrenSave the Children in Sri LankaUnited States Agency for International

AgencyUnited Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICEF)United Nations High Commission for

Refugees.

Civics and GovernanceGrades 10 - 11

AimThis course is designed to enable students

to understand principles of government andeconomic activity, along with their practice, withparticular reference to Sri Lanka. Through thisthey should appreciate the importance of demo-cratic and responsible structures and lifestyles



that contribute to the productive developmentof people within a social environment

Objectives• Understanding of political concepts and

their application in practice• Appreciation of the goals of government

and the functions of the various branchesof government

• Ability to analyze critically the differentpolitical perspectives and priorities

• Knowledge of economic principles anddifferent economic theories with theability to analyze and assess them

• Critical evaluation of the powersrequired by institutions and individualsin terms of their functions and purposes.

MethodologyThe syllabus consists of discrete areas in

which students will be introduced to basic hu-man rights principles. The historical develop-ment of human rights may be introduced when-ever relevant to the issues, while students shouldbe encouraged to analyze the application or non-application of such principles in the Sri Lankancontext. Comparison with other countriesshould be facilitated through project work. Theability to distinguish between functions andstructures should be developed, along with un-derstanding of goals and the means wherebythese can be pursued. The importance of demo-cratic governance on the basis of accountabilityto the citizenry should be appreciated.

Topics to be coveredGrade 10 (90 Periods)

Democratic governmentDecentralization and devolution of powerMulticultural societyEconomic systems and relationsConflict resolution in a democratic society

Grade 11 (90 Periods)Law and justiceDifferent layers of governmentHuman rights and duties

Environmental problems and sustainabledevelopment

International relations

Please see pages 127 to 132 for details ofCivic Education for Grades 6 to 9, and pages133 to 137 on Civics and Governance forGrades 10 & 11.

The following learning methods are pro-posed in teaching the subjects Civic Educationand Civics and Governance. Further informa-tion could be obtained from the teachers’guides and in-service training sessions. Teach-ers are free to use these learning methods asappropriate in the learning-teaching process inthe classroom:

ObservationDiscoveryGathering information through interviewsInformation analysisField workChildren’s’ parliament, welfare societies,

voluntary free services (Shramadanacampaign, etc.) and volunteer freeservice camps, cadet and scout camps

Attending to the sick and management ofcontingencies

Various societies: social welfare,conser vation of environment,conservation of resources of historicalvalue

ProjectsProblem solvingInquiry methodsQuestion and answer methodsWall newspapersExhibitionsWorking jointly with other organizations set

up in the regionWorking with national and international

organizationsConduct workshop with the participation

of resource personsFacilitatory services

� 127

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� 129


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� 131


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� 133

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� 137


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School Policies and Programs

Schools exist to treat humankind with eq-uity. It is the school that helps develop an un-derstanding of the people of the world and therespect for human life and humankind. Like-wise it is a duty of the school to develop indi-viduals with wholesome attitudes and goodbehavior. While it is only through cooperativeeffort that the humankind could develop, thefoundation is laid through the school. There-fore the Civic Education and Civics and Gov-ernance subjects should be taught as compul-sory subjects in schools.

It is the duty of school authorities to pro-vide an annual program appropriate for theregion where every student can participate totransform the syllabus content into more ef-fective learning experiences. At the beginningof the school year, it will be beneficial to pro-duce a program which can be implemented ina practical way. Given below are some co- cur-ricular activities which can be included in suchprogram:

• Organizing field work programs andeducational tours

• Starting small scale research projects• Holding quiz contests, debates and

exhibitions• Producing wall newspapers and

periodical publications• Cooperating and working with other

organizations in the region• Working with national and international

organizations• Holding workshops with the

participation of resource persons

Assessment and Evaluation

Examination and evaluation practicesshould take place in the following manner:

• Teachers in charge of the subject mayorganize school-based assessment. It isexpected that assessment will be doneaccording to the school-based

assessment scheme prepared by theNational Institute of Education.

• Students should have mid-year and year-end examinations which are held atschool, regional and provincial levelswhereby their knowledge, under-standing, application and high-levellearning abilities could be measured.

Pakistan

The Pakistani participants explained the in-tegration of human rights education into Pa-kistani school curriculum. Mrs. Rubina Victor11

explained that human rights could be taughtin social studies subject (which includes his-tory, civics, and geography) and in Islamic stud-ies subject. Ms. Sitwat Yusufzai12 presented theexperiences of one private school, specificallyabout the lesson plans on human rights forUrdu language subject.

They listed ideas (values) related to humanrights that could be emphasized in several sub-jects (language, mathematics, science and so-cial studies) covering Grades 1 to 10.

They also mentioned that the methodolo-gies to be used depend on the subject and thetopic being taught as mentioned in the guidefor curriculum review. Aside from the materialslisted in the guide, role-play, short storytelling,dramatic presentations could be added.

Curriculum review

According to the general principles govern-ing the National Plan of Action for HumanRights Education developed by Pakistan’s Fed-eral Ministry of Education (Curriculum Wing)in collaboration with UNESCO IslamabadOffice in 2001, there is a need to13

• Promote respect for and protect allhuman rights through educationalactivities for all members of society

• Promote the interdependence,indivisibility, and universality of humanrights, including civil, cultural,

� 139

economic, political and social rights andthe right to development

• Integrate women’s rights as humanrights in all aspects of the national plan

• Recognise the importance of humanrights education for democracy,sustainable development, the rule of law,the environment and peace

• Recognise the role of human rightseducation as a strategy for the preventionof human rights violations

• Encourage analysis of chronic andemerging human rights problems, whichwould lead to solutions consistent withhuman rights standards

• Foster knowledge and skills to useglobal, regional, national and localhuman rights instruments andmechanisms for the protection of humanrights

• Empower communities and individualsto identify their human rights needs andto ensure that they are met

• Develop pedagogies that includeknowledge, critical analysis and skills foraction furthering human rights

• Promote research and the developmentof educational materials to sustain thesegeneral principles

• Foster learning environments free fromwant and fear that encouragesparticipation, enjoyment of humanrights and the full development of thehuman personality.

The National Plan of Action also providesthat all educational activities to be undertakenunder it must foster:14

• Respect for and appreciation ofdif ferences and opposition todiscrimination on the basis of race,nation or ethnic origin, gender, religion,age, social, physical, or mental condition,language, sexual orientation, etc.

• Non-discriminatory language andconduct

• Respect for and appreciation of diversityof opinion

• Participatory teaching and learning• “Translation” of human rights norms

into the conduct of daily life• Professional training of trainers• Development and strengthening of

national capacities and expertise for theeffective implementation of the plan.

The Federal Ministry of Education (Curricu-lum Wing) prepared in 2005 the Curriculumfor Human Rights Education (Curriculum)based on the National Plan of Action.

The Curriculum is divided into three levels:primary, middle school and secondary. Whilethe Curriculum primarily presents a subject onhuman rights, it strongly recommends integra-tion of human rights issues into other subjectsas well. Furthermore, it suggests methodolo-gies to be utilized for the delivery of the lessonsas are also a variety of activities that students cando in school, at home and in the community.Thus a holistic flavor has been added to what isbasically a course in human rights.

At the primary level, the human right issuesinclude individual rights, social rights and re-sponsibilities, protection of societal/culturalvalues, and political and legal rights. Perhaps theprovisions of CRC can be added at this level.

At the middle school level, the human rightissues include individual rights and responsi-bilities, rights of people living in a community,protection of cultural/societal values, and pro-tection of political and legal rights. Consider-ing that the rights of muslims and non-muslimminorities are mentioned in this section, per-haps the addition of conflict resolution will notbe inappropriate at this level. Again, the studyand related activities based on the CRC can beadded to the curriculum.

At the secondary school level, the humanrights issues include respect for humanity, in-dividuals’ rights and responsibilities as mem-bers of society, protection of cultural/societalvalues, and political, constitutional and legal



rights. Perhaps at this level, since the Conven-tion on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis-crimination against Women (CEDAW), the1994 Cairo Declaration on Population & De-velopment, and the 1995 Beijing Declarationare being introduced, a study of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights during the three-year period would be beneficial in developingfurther focus on the entire curriculum.

For human rights education to succeed inits objectives, what is required in the formula-tion of curriculums is

• a human rights mindset• a holistic approach• consciousness of the knowledge,

attitude, values and skills to be expressed• comprehensive promotion of the

principles of internationalunderstanding, co-operation, peace andhuman rights

• creation of a balance and clear linkagesbetween the objectives to be met andthe content

• awareness of the gradual progressionrequired for adequate internalization ofthe concepts based on the varying levelsof cognitive development.

The governing principles of the NationalPlan of Action cover almost all the suggestedskills, values and attitudes listed in table belowthat should be integrated into the Curriculum.The “personal perspective on peace” at vary-ing levels automatically covers those that arenot specifically mentioned (e.g. the integrationof women’s rights as human rights). Otherprinciples such as interdependence, indivisibil-ity, universality of human rights, democracy,sustainable development, the rule of law, theenvironment and peace, are all included in theCurriculum. Perhaps a study of the Constitu-tion of Pakistan, which includes articles basedon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,can be inserted into the Social Studies curricu-lum of Grades 8 and 9.

The Curriculum certainly implements the

National Plan of Action especially in the devel-opment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and val-ues for a holistic, meaningful approach to hu-man rights.

One question about the National Plan ofAction is whether or not there will ever beenough resources to introduce human rightseducation in schools. It thus appears impera-tive “that the teachers be trained to internalizethe human rights perspective and then be ableto take up the issues in the classroom.”15

Teacher training, to an extent, meets the needsof another principle governing the NationalPlan of Action. An appropriate learning envi-ronment generated by an appropriately trainedteacher ensures adequate participation of stu-dents in absorbing human rights concepts,while all stakeholders develop the required at-titude towards human rights education.

Skills, values and attitudes to be integratedinto school curriculum for internalizing hu-man rights concepts are enumerated in a tableon pages 141-142.

The Social Studies concepts are the sameas those to be integrated for Languages (seecolumn for Languages). These concepts maybe simultaneously introduced into the Lan-guages and Social Studies subjects at everygrade level.

Skills, values and attitudes would be inte-grated into the existing school curriculumwithout effecting changes in it. By focusingon the concepts to be woven in, lessons wouldbe picked up from the various subjects intowhich they could suitably be incorporatedinto. The improvement being envisioned isthat no matter which subject or theme is tobe integrated, the basic practices to be devel-oped would be inquiry-based learning andcritical thinking.

The progression of each concept has to beclearly kept in view while integrating the skills,attitudes and values into lesson plans so thatawareness of the concepts increases, accordingto grade level.

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India

The Indian participants (Prof. S. Nagpal,16

Dr. G. K. Joneja,17 Ms. Seema Srivathava,18 Dr.S. Fawzianadeem19) involved in developing theschool curriculum in India and emphasized theneed to integrate human rights education bothin the school and in the teacher educationcurriculum. A study on the experience on val-ues education in a private school was also pre-sented in the workshop.

India is a free nation with a rich history, anextraordinary complex cultural diversity, and acommitment to democratic values and wellbeing for all. The National Policy of Educa-tion of 1986 proposed a national curriculumframework as a means of evolving a nationalsystem of education, and recommended a corecomponent derived from the vision of nationaldevelopment enshrined in the Constitution. In2005, the National Curricular Framework wasadopted (NCF 2005) with the broad aim ofmaintaining an education system guided by theconstitutional vision of India as a secular, egali-tarian and pluralistic society, and founded onthe values of social justice and equality. NCF2005 was prepared with the help of a NationalSteering Committee, which was supported by21 national focus groups dealing with 21 corethemes:

› Aims of education› Systemic reforms for curriculum change› Teaching of Indian Languages› Teaching of English› Teaching of Mathematics› Teaching of Science› Teaching of Social Sciences› Habitat and learning› Art, Music, Dance and Theatre› Heritage crafts› Work and education› Health and physical education› Early childhood education› Problems of Scheduled Castes and

Scheduled Tribes Education› Gender Issues in Education

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� 143

› Educational Technology› Education of Groups with Special Needs› Education for Peace› Curriculum Syllabus and Textbooks› Teacher Education for Curriculum

Renewal› Examination.

The guiding principles for NCF 2005 are:• Connecting knowledge to life outside

school;• Ensuring that learning is shifted away

from rote methods;• Enriching the curriculum to provide for

over-all development of children ratherthan remain textbook-centered;

• Making examination more flexible andintegrated with classroom life; and

• Nurturing an overriding identity formedby caring concerns within the democraticpolicy of the country.

Keeping in view these guiding principles ofcurriculum development, learning and knowl-edge are differentiated in the following ways:

- The correspondence between learnerdevelopment and learning is intrinsic tocurricular practices

- Knowledge is different from information- Learning experiences are needed for the

construction of knowledge and thefostering of creativity, and also todevelop critical perspectives on socialissues

- Connecting knowledge acrossdisciplinary boundaries leads toinsightful construction of knowledge

- Constitutional values and principlesshould mediate the plurality of textbooksand other materials incorporating localknowledge.

The in-depth analysis and critical appraisalat the micro- and macro-levels of the abovepremises of NCF 2005 reflect Indian concernfor human rights education, whether directly

or indirectly taught. In all the four familiar ar-eas of school curriculum, i.e, language, math-ematics, science and social sciences, significantchanges are recommended with a view to mak-ing education meet present and future needsand in order to alleviate the stress that childrenare coping with today. NCF 2005 recommendsthe softening of subject boundaries so thatchildren taste integrated knowledge and the joyof understanding. Home language/mothertongue has to be considered as the best me-dium to build a foundation for education.Teaching mathematics can focus on the devel-opment of the child’s resources to think andreason, to visualize abstractions, and to formu-late and solve problems. Teaching science canbe changed to enable learners to acquire meth-ods and processes, curiosity and creativity. So-cial science while considered from a disciplin-ary perspective can emphasize an integratedapproach in the treatment of significant themes(such as human rights education). As a para-digm shift, the study of social science is pro-posed to be seen from the perspectives ofmarginalized groups. Gender justice and sen-sitivity towards issues related to ScheduledCaste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) commu-nities and other minorities must inform all sec-tors of social sciences. NCF 2005 draws atten-tion to other four curricular areas such as arts,heritage crafts, health and physical educationand peace education, which form critical com-ponents of school education. They are not sepa-rate subjects but highly integrated components.The potential of peace education for socializ-ing children into a democratic and just culturecan be actualized through appropriate activi-ties and judicious choice of topics in all sub-jects and at all stages.

School ethos is discussed as a dimension ofthe curriculum as it predisposes the child to-wards the aims of education and strategies oflearning necessary to succeed in school. As aresource, school time need to be planned lo-cally and in a flexible manner - flexible schoolcalendars and timetables which permit time slots



of different lengths required for different typesof activities such as project work and outdoorexcursion to natural and heritage sites.

In the context of systemic reforms, NCF2005 emphasizes strengthening Panchayati RajInstitutions (PRIs) by having more streamlinedapproach that encourages community partici-pation as a means of enhancing quality educa-tion and accountability. Further, there is needto reconceptualize textbooks, teacher hand-books and other materials based on new per-spectives and use of interactive technologies.There is also a need to use productive work aspedagogic medium in school curriculum frompre-primary to secondary stages, and empha-size vocational education to a great extent.Examination reforms highlight shift from con-tent-based testing to problem-solving and com-petency-based assessment and examinations ofshorter duration, with flexible time limits. NCF2005 highlights the significance of partnershipbetween schools and civil society groups(NGOs, etc.).

In teacher education, radical steps are re-quired to reverse the recent trends toward thedilution of professional norms, and ensure pro-fessionalism and accountability. Pre-servicetraining programs need to be more compre-hensive and lengthy, incorporating sufficientopportunities for observation of children andinteraction of pedagogic theory with practicethrough school internship.

Human rights education in schools is madepossible through all the school activities includ-

ing subjects of teaching, morning assembly, lit-erary activities, sports, performing arts, culturalactivities, social service programs and schoolcelebrations. The components of human rightseducation are emphasizing three aspects, i.e.,knowledge, attitudes and practice. The learn-ing of the three aspects begins very early aschildren. Therefore, they experience humanrights and learn to respect human rights bothin school and out of school. Of course, formalknowledge about human rights can be impartedslowly at higher (secondary) stage. Before thatit is important to educate students about hu-man rights through various school practicesboth related to direct subject teaching and de-velopment of non-cognitive areas of learningemphasizing personal and social growth. In thisway, the students would be able to develophuman rights-related attitudes and values suchas equality, co-operation, scientific temper,humanism, service to others, peace, under-standing and respect for cultural differences andpluralism, democratic participation, spirit ofrespect and caring for elders, physically chal-lenged, the disadvantaged.

In India, many schools are directly and in-directly imparting education for human valuesof which human rights education forms a part.The development of attitudes and some knowl-edge about human rights can be seen in thecurriculum, teaching strategies adopted in theclasses, all the school activities, and ethos. Someof these are summarized in the table below.

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creating a multiplier effect in spreading humanrights awareness.

Teacher education institutes on primaryeducation are involved in training, materialdevelopment, and research activities in schooleducation.

The present curriculum of ElementaryTeacher Education Diploma for two years hasabout 32 papers including sociological foun-dation papers, content and others like Educa-tional Technology, Work Experience, Art Edu-cation, Health and Physical Education, Popula-tion Education, Value Education, etc.

Interestingly the course has one optionalpaper ‘Value Education’ which includes manyareas of human rights education. Some ex-amples of the curriculum of primary teachereducation courses, subjects (social studies),activities, and exercises are narrated below.Unless prospective teachers are sensitized andtrained by teacher educators on human rightseducation, it may not percolate/filter down toschool practices. Different exercises, projects,assignments etc., can be included to make itinteresting and applicable to real life situations.

Pre-requisites for human rights education in schools

The school management must take interestin the school offerings and encourage the prin-cipal, teachers and students to plan activities topromote human rights. Sports, games and allthe other school activities must ensure maxi-mum student participation in order to promotethe concept of equality, justice, etc.

The students need to be provided oppor-tunities to work together and relate meaning-fully to the world they live in through activi-ties related to science, environment, history,art and culture, etc. The role of schoolteach-ers, principal, parents should be articulatedstrongly in undertaking human rights educa-tion in schools.

Human rights education in schools and teachertraining institutes

Human rights education needs a multi-pronged approach. Schools, teachers, parents,communities, teacher-training institutes and allscholars of society have to work together in

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� 147

Hence the curriculum at teacher-training levelneeds to be analyzed in this light and teachereducators trained to practice it in real situa-tions. Interesting action researches, projects andassignments can be included in the curriculumwith objective assessment criteria for the actualimplementation of human rights practices atschool level. Efforts should be made to inte-grate different aspects human rights education(components of UDHR and CRC) in thepresent curriculum of teacher training.

1. Value Education (Elementary TeacherEducation) – 2nd Year

The Elementary Teacher Education Cur-riculum has a paper on value education, whichhas significant coverage on human rights edu-cation. (See details below) This paper is taughtin the second year of Elementary Teacher Edu-cation program. It is very important to stressthat this paper is taught as an optional paper.Hence, it is the prerogative of student-teach-ers to opt for this paper or not. Therefore,also, there is a need for either a compulsorypaper on human rights or the integration ofhuman rights across the theory papers andpractical activities.

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2. Child Development – 1st year

Nature and approaches to understand ChildDevelopment

CRC can be included to throw light onwhat are child rights and how they can be pro-tected, how they are violated, and who to con-tact in case of violation.

Methodology � Situations � Classroom/school situations, community, parents, faculty,peer group, teachers, etc.

Situations can be given to children in dif-ferent groups. On given situations the childrencan be asked to respond and react and thenideal strategy/solutions can be given.

E.g. Matching/Batching can be done(column I - human rights and column II -situation)

Foundation Papers:

Human NeedsExamine situations where human needs

have been adversely affected resulting in hu-man rights violations:

A child’s scholarship was stopped becauseher/his father displeased her/his teacher

A teacher deprives the child of mid-day mealfor not doing her/his home work

A student shuts her/his classmate in schoolbathroom in the presence of otherstudents in anger

A student was reprimanded for wearingdirty school uniform in the class

A teacher rebukes/abuses a student for notdepositing fees on time

A child is denied admission in school nearto her/his residence at primary level

A child is asked to slap another child in theevent of fight between them.

True/False situations can also be given.E.g.:All human beings are equal (T/F)Government always protects child/women

and men (T/F)A child may be refused admission on the

basis of caste (T/F)

Few curriculum examplesPrimarySocial Science topics:• Small society, family life, school and

community• Big society – community, country, state• Forms of government• The United Nations• The world today – East-West problem,

armaments, events at international level• The world around us – studies of

individual countries• Religion and philosophy of life, analysis

of different religions, traditional beliefsand practices.

� 149

Upper secondarySample lesson:

Economics - Class IX – XHuman-rights-related

UNIT- IEconomy � Classification of economies

into developed, developing, underdevelopedcategories

Classification on the basis of stages of de-velopment, character of economic activities(agrobased/industrialized)

The origin of human rights phenomenonexplained in a historical perspective.

Examples:Discussion on the following historical periodsin relation to human rights

RenaissanceFrench revolutionNazism under Hitler’s regime, Fascism

under MussoliniJapan – atomic bombing in Nagasaki and

HiroshimaIndustrialization process - the Industrial

Revolution and Intellectual PropertyRights can be discussed by emphasizingthe rule of class-conflict capitalism,which promotes low wages, unhealthyworking conditions, etc.

UNIT – IIPopulation � Growth, causes, density, per capi-tal income, standard of living/quality of life.

� Status of unemployment (global perspec-tive) – relate with human rights à Right toemployment

� Right to health“Developing Training Inputs to Key Persons

for the Psycho-Social Development of SC/STs”Primary Level - StorytellingLanguage - LessonsDebates - Human rights, girlchild, friend-

ship, human spirit on any current issue - ter-rorism, population explosion, pollution

Essay writing - current status of women, roleof women’s “empowerment” in the nation

Discussions

Topic:DisarmamentThe possession of arms causes internationaltension and hinders the peaceful existence ofhumankind.

General Objectives:Make the students

• Understand the meaning of arms race• Understand the reasons why some

nations are in this race• Explain its implications• Support public opinion in condemning

arms race• Appreciate ef forts to divert the

expenditure on armaments todevelopmental aspects.

Procedures:1. Show pictures on world wars and its effect

on people2. Ask students to react and reflect their feel-

ings on the pictures (How would they feelif they are all victims of war?)

3. Interview people who have witnessed war orarmed conflict and analyze the findings.

Group Work =====> Exercise

Other topics:� Prohibition of slaveryi.e., Prohibition of slavery and servitude� History - Imperialism; Feudalism� Effect of dumping of goods by economi-cally advanced countries into the developingcountries in the name of globalization� Right to freedom of thought, expressionand religion � Civics - Constitution(Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties)� Right to education and to choose kind ofeducation � Civics - Constitution - Statepolicy or Directive Principles



StoriesDramas, role playSelf-confidence, self-expression, equality,

self-discipline, human rights, universal fellow-ship, humanism

Self-confidence - Learning to constructknowledge through observation, inquiry, ex-perimentation, honesty, and truthfulness inreporting observations, perseverance, protec-tion of environment (directly related to therights of those affected)

Perseverance - Continuous effort to achievethe outcome desired (application to humanrights)

- problem solving ability- application of knowledge to life, solve day-

to-day problemsWater - resource management, conserva-

tion, distribution wastage, encroachment onrights of others

Logical reasoning is the basis of self-confi-dence. Therefore, self-confidence is aimed atdeveloping ability to exercise rights.

Primary level - appreciation of nature, de-velopment of scientific temper and attitudesthrough curiosity and creativity. Human rightseducation can be integrated in the followingsubjects:

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� 151

The workshop was indeed an exercise onsharing ideas and experiences. It also helpedstress the importance of having explicit, if notcomprehensive, inclusion of human rights intothe school subjects. Some participants sharedtheir games and songs including a song aboutchild rights used in teacher training in Nepal.See Annex 1 for the English version of the songsung by SR Bista during the workshop.

Some issues

Discussions during the workshop revealeda number of important issues relevant to thecontent, process of development and supportsystem for the integration of human rights edu-cation into the school curriculum.

In the context of South Asia, the conceptof fulfilling one’s duty as a primary concern isa major issue on human rights discussions.Mahatma Gandhi’s 1947 letter to UNESCO20

commenting on the draft Universal Declara-tion of Human Rights is often cited as an en-dorsement of the duty-first concept. The work-shop discussions however showed a change ofperspective. One questioned the fairness of thisconcept as applied to the Dalits, who are rel-egated to serving upper castes. And a new viewwas explained saying that one’s duty cannot beperformed well unless one’s human rights arerespected. The discussions on the duty-firstconcept are important in talking about humanrights contextualized in the South Asian socio-cultural terrain.

The current trend among the countries inSouth Asia, as in other countries in Asia as awhole, is to emphasize language and computertechnology in the school curriculum. Parentsdemand that their children learn English inschool as early as possible, and that they alsolearn communication and information technol-ogy in order to equip their children with skills

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Other components in the school system: some suggestions


useful for their work in the future. While learn-ing English is important, the question is whenshould it start? English-language teaching atthe primary level may go against the view thatlearning is more effectively acquired throughmother-tongue instruction. These discussionsrelate to the role of school in learning abouthuman rights. Can school curriculum accom-modate human rights education in the contextof the demand for greater emphasis on lan-guage and communications technology edu-cation? Or will issues such as human rights fitinto a curriculum that emphasizes learning forfuture work?

Increasing human rights awareness of stu-dents is not a monopoly of schools. This wasrevealed in a survey done in the Philippinesand India. The family remains to be a majorsource of such awareness. The survey likewiseshows that children who go to public schoolsin areas where human rights violations are ram-pant have higher human rights awareness. Thissupports the notion that those who suffer fromhuman rights violations are likely to have higherhuman rights awareness. From this perspective,harnessing the human rights awareness of stu-dents and steering it towards a more completeand meaningful understanding and practice ofhuman rights within the school and beyond isa challenge to be faced.

In support of the proper and effective imple-mentation of school curriculum that integrateshuman rights education, the teacher educationcurriculum must likewise have human rightseducation. Those who are training to becometeachers should have the proper knowledge,attitude and skills required for human rightseducation. Thus a parallel effort at integratinghuman rights education into the teacher edu-cation curriculum is needed to ensure thatteachers can facilitate human rights learning.

Endnotes

1 The participants from Pakistan consisted of aschool principal in a public school and a teacher in aprivate school.

2 Invited participants from Bangladesh could not at-tend due to difficulties in securing official permission aspublic officials to travel outside the country. There couldhave been participants from Maldives if not for budget-ary limitation.

3 Mr. Yoshio Kawashima was not able to go to Delhidue to other commitments. A staff of HURIGHTSOSAKA read the opening message on his behalf.

4 The two instruments are the following: SouthAsian Convention on Preventing and Combating Traf-ficking in Women and Children for Prostitution (Janu-ary 2002), and the SAARC Convention on RegionalArrangements for the Promotion of Child Welfare inSouth Asia (January 2002).

5 This survey involves 4 countries (India, Japan, Phil-ippines and Sri Lanka) which are assumed to have con-siderable experience in implementing human rights edu-cation programs in schools.

6 Deputy Director, Teacher Training Section, Na-tional Center for Educational Development (NCED),Ministr y of Education and Sports, Sanothimi,Bhaktapur, Nepal.

7 Deputy Director, Department of Education(DOE), Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

8 The situation in Nepal improved in May 2006when the parliament was restored and a ceasefire wasdeclared between the government and the CommunistParty of Nepal.

9 Annual Work Plan and Budgets of the Departmentof Education. In the current fiscal year, 2062/063, thegovernment allocated the budget of 36.1 million Nepalirupees (over 500,000 US dollars) in SESP and 4.6 mil-lion Nepali rupees (over 65,000 US dolars) in Educa-tion-For-All programs.

10 Head, Primary education, Curriculum Develop-ment Division I, National Institute of Education,Maharagama, Sri Lanka.

11 Project Officer, Department of Social Sciences,National Institute of Education, Maharagama, SriLanka.

12 Headmistress, Government Girls Syed Baz Mohd.Shah School, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.

13 Representing Grammar School Rawalpindi,Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

14 National Plan of Action for Human Rights Edu-cation, Ministry of Education, Islamabad, pages 4-5.

15 Ibid., page 5.16 Ibid., page 4.

� 153

17 Department of Psychology and Educational Foun-dation, National Council of Educational Research andTraining.

18 Reader, Department of Psychology and Educa-tional Foundation, National Council of EducationalResearch and Training.

Children are zones of peace, it is our duty to ensure this

School is a garden and students are flowersFlowering them to full bloom duty of oursThey’re our heartbeat symbol of creationThey are future of the country, builder of the nation


Let us develop our students by touching their feelingsGive them happy learning stop them from weepingLove them with smile and give them respectThink always of the children and their progress


Children’s learning takes place in joyful wayIt helps them achieve their aims of lifeEncouragement and motivation choose the waysThrow the stick from today far away


Let us smell off the blood and gunpowderStop the sound of ambush and gun eitherLet us cast away fear and bloodshed from schoolsProtect child rights, do not abuse


Fear and anxiety away from the childrenGet the opportunity to foster their talentsIf talents of children would foster“Children are zones of peace” becomes real

Children are zones of peace, it is our duty to ensure this.

19 Lecturer in Education, District Institute of Edu-cation and Training.

2 Lecturer in Education, Department of EducationalFoundation, Jamia Millia Islamia.

21 Letter of Mahatma Gandhi to Dr. Julian Huxley,then Director General of UNESCO.

Annex 1

Children are Zones of PeaceSoviet Ram Bista

Note: This is the English translation of a Nepali song written by Mr. Soviet Ram Bista and used in the Child-FriendlySchool training program in Nepal. The training program started in April 2005 and continues till the present. It issupported by Save the Children Norway.


Documents

113 South Asia Workshop on Human Rights Education in … HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS ing areas from nine to five (English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science and MAKABAYAN)