Promoting Values and Citizenship through Human Rights Education

Nations involved
Scotland
Ireland
Project leads
Anne Molloy, Amnesty International Ireland (at time of working on project)
Elaine Watts, ​Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland, then University of Strathclyde
Project timeline
April 2012 to September 2013
The project leads attended the 2011 Five Nations Conference in Dublin. Both Amnesty Ireland and BEMIS found that teachers are working in a context of economic austerity and education cutbacks brought particular challenges. It significantly limits the amount of time that teachers have to engage in CPD, yet there remains a huge need for, and appetite from teachers to learn about integrating human rights education into their work. Knowledge of, and support for human rights is fundamental to values education and active citizenship. The organisations involved in this project found that although human rights education has clear links to citizenship education with its focus on participatory methodologies and values, many teachers are still not making the links between the two. This study demonstrated the contribution a whole school approach to human rights can make to develop citizenship skills in the school. Download the report

Aims

  • Strengthen respect for human rights and values across the school community
  • Promote a deeper understanding of active citizenship
  • Develop ideas that will improve how teachers are supported to promote values and citizenship through human rights education in the classroom
  • Develop effective partnerships between schools and third sector partners
  • Measure attitudinal changes to HRE (children, staff, wider community)

Actions

  • Study Visit to Ireland, 14 -15 November 2012
  • Study Visit to Scotland, 29 - 30 April and 1 May 2013
  • Visit with Scottish Parliament

Outcomes

The report details the outcomes of a whole school approach and the 
  • Impact on the children
  • Impact on the teachers
  • Impact beyond the classroom
  • Post-project outcomes, legacy and sustainability
Last edited May 2016