Ruairi Quinn T.D., Minister for Education & Skills today launched the Irish Human Rights Commission’s (IHRC) report Human Rights Education in Ireland – An Overview. The 240 page report maps the current situation of human rights education in Ireland across a range of sectors, including in the civil and public service and makes recommendations for the development of a National Action Plan for Human Rights Education and Training in Ireland.
The United Nations World Programme for Human Rights Education has prioritised human rights education and training with teachers, higher education institutions, civil servants and law enforcement and military personnel. The IHRC Report aims to support Ireland’s commitment to this Programme.
Dr Maurice Manning speaking at the launch said
"In this era of public sector reform there is a great opportunity to strengthen the delivery of quality public services by embedding human rights training in the civil and public service. Building human rights into the delivery of public policy and services not only has the potential to reduce legal risk, promote economies and help ensure quality service provision, but also to strengthen the workplace environment within the civil and public service. "
Dr Manning continued
"To make human rights education a central feature of policy, programmes and practice across the civil service, as well as other sectors, the IHRC is calling for the development of a National Action Plan on Human Rights Education and Training. Such a plan would be a cost-effective way of helping Ireland to meet its international obligations to provide human rights education and training."
Dr Manning also said
"The IHRC report identifies good practice and the presence of human rights education in the Irish school curriculum. However, we would welcome the Department of Education and Skills supporting the integration of human rights education in the wider school curriculum, and as a core component of initial teacher education and continuous professional development for both primary and post-primary teachers. There is also scope to strengthen human rights education in higher education by making human rights a core feature of higher education legislation, policies and strategies."
In relation to human rights education and training in the civil and public service, Mr Éamonn Mac Aodha, Chief Executive said
"I am very pleased to say that there is already a high level of co-operation between the IHRC and areas of the civil and public service in developing human rights education and training. The IHRC’s Human Rights Education and Training Project has delivered face-to-face training to nearly 400 civil and public servants from a range of departments and services. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive and we will continue to roll this training out in cooperation with the service. Participation in such training has the potential to strengthen the development and delivery of quality public policies and services. The IHRC looks forward to being of assistance in the development of human rights education and training in this and other sectors."
Click below for full speeches
Dr Maurice Manning’s full speech
Mr Eamonn Mac Aodha’s full speech
Key Recommendations
General
- Create an National Human Rights Education and Training Action Plan to ensure that human rights are an overarching consideration in policies and practice in education and training approaches;
- Establish a Cross-Departmental Human Rights Education and Training Committee, including relevant stakeholders, to oversee the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights Education and Training.
Formal Education
- Include human rights education as a goal of future education legislation, policy and policy implementation strategies and support;
- Support the practice of human rights in the whole-school community through school development planning, policies and ways of working including the development of student councils in primary schools as well as at post-primary level;
- Support the inclusion of human rights as a criterion in whole-school, programme and subject evaluation and inspection.
Primary Education
- Extend the time available to teach Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE);
- Strengthen human rights education in SPHE and in the wider curriculum and school by mainstreaming the Lift Off human rights education programme and increasing support for the professional development of teachers;
- Support the integration of human rights education as a core component of initial teacher education.
Post-Primary Education
- Develop CSPE human rights education resources and re-instate the support services for continuous professional development of CSPE teachers;
- Introduce Politics and Society as a Leaving Certificate subject without delay and support human rights education as a core component of initial teacher education and continuous professional development;
- Develop the human rights education content of the wider curriculum.
Higher Education
- Make human rights education a core goal of higher education legislation, policy and practice;
- Strengthen human rights education in higher education through the development of a human rights education network within higher education institutions (HEIs) and between them.
Civil and Public Service
- Encourage Government Departments, public bodies and services to participate in training and support offered by the IHRC through its Human Rights Education and Training Project;
- Support the mainstreaming of human rights in the training programme of the civil and public service with a view to integrating human rights into legislation, policy and practice.
Legal Profession
- Encourage the Law Society of Ireland and Kings Inns to have more explicit human rights content in their education and continuing professional development courses.
Community & Voluntary Sector
- Provide resources to community and voluntary organisations to deliver human rights education activities to make people aware of their human rights and to take action to claim their rights;
- Support training for trainers to better equip educators to deliver human rights education;
- Support the establishment of a trainer’s network to share learning and pool resources.
ENDS/
For further information, please contact
Fidelma Joyce, IHRC
Mob: 087 783 4939
Notes to Editors
UN World Programme for Human Rights Education
In carrying out the overview of human rights education in Ireland, the IHRC took direction from international human rights standards and from the United Nations World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE), which Ireland has signed up to.
Building on the achievements of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), the World Programme for Human Rights Education seeks to promote a common understanding of basic principles and methodologies of human rights education, to provide a concrete framework for action and to strengthen partnerships and cooperation on human rights education at all levels.
www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/programme.htm
What is Human Rights Education?
The UN World Programme for Human Rights Education defines human rights education as:
[E]ducation, training and information aimed at building a universal culture of human rights through the sharing of knowledge, imparting of skills and moulding of attitudes.
IHRC Human Rights Education and Training Project
The IHRC’s Human Rights Education and Training Project was set up in March 2010 with philanthropic support, as a pilot project to support the Civil and Public Service in developing human rights education and training. The Project aims to work in partnership with the Civil and Public Service and tailor human rights training to the specific needs of particular Departments and Services.
The Human Rights Guide for the Civil & Public Service published as part of the Project is available free to the Civil and Public Service and can be read on-line or downloaded from the IHRC website. It is complimented with more in-depth human rights information both by this e-learning platform (www.ihrc.ie/training) and through face-to-face training delivery developed on request and tailored to specific needs
