Education for rights

Operating in such a matrix where regular and consistent abuse of human rights is routine, the difficulty in development of respect for and promotion of human rights like equality, social justice and dignity and respect for every human being gets compounded.

There is also abysmally low consciousness about fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution on one hand, and what such rights entail for the ordinary citizen on the other. This reflects poorly on our education system in so far as the learners and learned do not have even the remotest idea about the rights for which our freedom struggle was fought and which were later enshrined in the Constitution as fundamental rights.

Therefore the initiative of UGC and NCERT to promote human rights education at different levels is welcome. It has often been said that people who are aware of their rights stand the best chance of realising them. Not only are they not likely to stand abuse of their own rights, they will also develop respect for the rights of others as well as have the courage and confidence to assert them.

Educational institutions should therefore not only subscribe to principles of equity, fairness and non-discrimination but also disseminate and promote basic and fundamental human rights.

Some of the objectives of human rights education can be:

1. Conscious understanding of one8217;s own rights as well as duties towards others. Rights are incomplete without concomitant duties;

2. Developing and inculcating values of respect and dignity for self and fellow human beings, tolerance, non-violence and concern for environment, international understanding and cooperation;

3. Elimination of prejudices based on narrow considerations of class, caste, religion, gender, political opinion etc and learning and appreciation of diversity and worth of cultural identities;

4. Developing critical and objective thinking; and

5. Increasing peoples8217; awareness about the sources of violation of their rights8212;dominant individuals, groups and sections, the state or other power-wielding groups.

It has been stated earlier that 8216;8216;the ivory tower approach to human rights education is counter-productive8217;8217;. To be relevant, it should be 8216;education from bottom up8217;, wherein the struggles at ground zero against hegemony and for dignity are studied.

This form of education should constitute study of violations of human rights at local, regional, national and international level. Upholders of human rights should be honoured and appreciated. Critical consciousness and thinking should be promoted to help students assess real problems. Their experiences and observations of relatively known abuses of human rights should receive attention, especially regarding child rights as in the carpet-weaving industry, glass and bangle-making industry, cracker units, matchstick manufacturing etc.

However effective communication of the message depends critically on the teacher, on his or her own personal conviction and commitment to the cause, development of innovative teaching methodologies and in the selection of themes for discussion. The pedagogy should broaden awareness, encourage self-critical dialogue, question dogmas and religious obscurantism and promote positive attitudinal change.

However, the purpose would be self-defeating if it is merely linked to good grades, in an already crowded curriculum. Instead the thread of human rights should be common across all areas of the school system, with the aim that human rights consciousness should be consistently built into school atmosphere, consolidated in the attitude/behaviour of the learners and carried on long after the students8217; school lives have ended.

The writer is a Ph.D scholar, studying human rights