by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe
Juvenile justice, violence, the right to a family, freedom of expression, protection against exploitation and abuses and the right to social, legal and economic protection are just some of areas in which our organisation has played an active role over the years.
One of the first judgments passed by the European Court of Human Rights concerned children’s rights to an education: the so-called “Belgian linguistic” case of 1968 related to children’s access to education in their mother tongue. Since then, the Council of Europe has continued to assist governments in making education accessible to everyone.
International law is clear: children have the right to receive an education of quality and state’s authorities must make primary education compulsory and accessible to all. Furthermore, they should allow equal access to secondary schools and higher education.
To create citizens embracing and respecting values of equality, non-discrimination and freedom, human rights education should be provided in schools.
Human rights or children’s rights are not always compulsory in the school curricula. When they exist,the time allocated is often limited and the teaching methods are often unsuitable. Unfortunately, the focus of the school curricula has more often than not been on preparing pupils for the labour market rather than on developing their life skills and powers of reasoning.
I have great concerns about the attitude of certain governments. It seems that some have directly interfered in the primary and secondary school curricula by refusing to address certain human rights issues, notably the question of sexual education and homosexuality. At times, governments can be wary of a human rights approach in schools, fearing it could breed unwanted criticism. This is an undemocratic and short-sighted attitude: educating citizens in their human rights creates an informed society which, in turn, strengthens democracy.
Schools should provide basic information on human rights norms and systems of protection. Children should be made aware of judicial authorities or ombudsperson’s institutions existing at a national level that can protect them and their rights. This education should foster essential values such as mutual respect, non-discrimination, equality and democratic participation.
Teaching pupils about their rights should not only be theoretical. The school is an ideal place to begin implementing children’s rights. Pupils should have the possibility to express their views in class about the lectures, as well as on how classes are presented. They should also participate in the running of the school by, for example, taking part in the school management board. In such progressive schools, children learn social, communication and other life skills and not just facts.
Teachers and school staff also play a key role in developing such schools and, for this reason, they need the support of their local and central authorities. Educational policies should promote a rights-based approach. Teacher training for all teachers, regardless of their specialisation, should be developed along these lines.
Teaching methods should promote democracy and participation in society. Textbooks and other educational materials should be consistent with human rights’ values. The Council of Europe has developed a number of helpful and practical tools in this area, including the Compass manual on human rights’ education.
Extra efforts are also required in order to ensure that minorities and disadvantaged groups are included in schools. Inclusive approaches to societal diversity permit children, on a daily basis, to discover, understand and appreciate diversity and take an interest in other cultures.
As stated by the European Court, “education is essential for the preservation of the democratic society”. It is now our duty to preserve it by offering an accessible and quality education to every child.