Commissioned by the The Danish Institute for Human Rights, Cecilia Decara, Carol Rask and Teachers College Lecturer Felisa Tibbitts co-authored this guide to inspire the development of context adjusted and explicit human rights education curricula with a clear linkage to the international human rights system. The authors also aim to bring conceptual clarity to human rights education and curriculum development, and provide concrete suggestions on how to build human rights curricula fit for 21st century human rights challenges, while at the same time contributing to the realisation of the SDG goals and targets set by the international community.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and the associated Education 2030 Framework for Action are focused on inclusive and equitable quality education. SDG target 4.7 specifically calls for human rights education (HRE) and its indicator, SDG 4.7.1, measures its integration in (a) national education policies, (b) curricula, (c) teacher education, and (d) student assessment.
With SDG target 4.7, human rights actors have an important platform for furthering national implementation of human rights education within the education sector. SDG 4.7.1, the global SDG indicator for this target, has explicitly identified the curriculum as one of the means for measuring progress in the integration of human rights education within national frameworks. States have obligations under a range of human rights instruments to ensure that national education is aimed at strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They are held accountable for these obligations through institutionalized human rights monitoring mechanisms and processes.
The Guide on Human Rights Education Curriculum Development: Furthering SDG Target 4.7 In Primary and Secondary Schools Aims at supporting the work of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIS) to further HRE curriculum development within their national contexts. National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are one of the key components of national and international human rights protection systems, advising governments and promoting and protecting human rights. NHRIs act as a bridge between civil society and the state, linking the responsibilities of states to the rights of citizens. National human rights institutions (NHRI) can take various forms with the most common types being human rights commissions or ombudsmen, hybrid institutions, consultative and advisory bodies, and other forms of human rights institutes and centers.
As such, the guide provides step-by-step guidance with concrete examples on how to strengthen the integration of HRE in national curriculum development processes in keeping with both human rights and SDG commitments. The introductory chapter presents the rationale, aims and intended users for this guide. The second chapter offers an introduction to key human rights education and curriculum development concepts. The third chapter presents sample educational aims, content and competence areas, as well as HRE learning outcomes for the subjects of Citizenship/Social Studies, History, Religion, and Environmental Sciences. The sample HRE learning outcomes illustrate how HRE can be integrated across pre-primary and lower primary, upper primary, and lower secondary and upper secondary levels. The fourth and final chapter details the specific steps in curriculum development, beginning with an analysis of curriculum traditions in one’s own national context, through the curriculum elaboration stage, the mapping of HRE through the SDG 4.7/Human Rights Education Monitoring Tool or a HRE mapping study, the development of concrete curricula strategies, and a collection of guiding principles on HRE curriculum development.
The guide is can be accessed on the website of the Danish Institute for Human Rights by clicking here.