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Teaching and learning ‘about’, ‘through’

and ‘for’ human rights: a critical

dimension for Australian schooling…

Libby Tudball Monash University

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This session focuses on discussion of:

the critical importance of human rights

education (HRE) in schools

conceptual and theoretical constructs of

human rights (HR) and HRE

HRE in the Australian Curriculum

how students can learn about HR to

develop attitudes, behaviours and skills to

apply human rights in their everyday life.

resources and exemplars related to human

rights in learners’ own contexts, in Australia

& the wider world.

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An important speech…

‘Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places,

close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any

maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the

neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory,

farm, or office where he works.

Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal

justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless

these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.

Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we

shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.’

Eleanor Roosevelt, (1958). In Our Hands: Speech delivered on the

tenth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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What are human rights?

http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=oh3BbLk5UIQ

Key questions:

What are human rights?

Who developed the

concept?

How has the idea of

human rights evolved

over time?

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Getting students thinking about human rights: www.humanrights.gov.au/introhumanrights

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Why study human rights?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-

rights/index.html

Educating people about human rights is a way of

protecting fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech.

It can help to address discrimination, harassment and

violence because of someone’s race, age, gender,

disability or their sexuality.

The importance of human rights education is recognised

in a number of human rights treaties including the

Convention on the Rights of the Child. Human rights

education is a right in itself. But it’s also a way of

protecting human rights.

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Why study human rights in Australia?

‘Australia’s reputation for human rights abuses is at an all time low given off shore

detention centres for asylum seekers’ ( Kennedy, 2016. p.iii)

Current issues including marriage equality, ongoing and daily instances of racism and lack

of concern for indigenous and cultural rights

Australia is a signatory to UN legislation requiring HRE:

UDHR,(1948) UN Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) (1990)

… ‘about, …‘for’…and ‘through’ human rights’, that include civil, political, social and

cultural rights (Marshall, 1950).

See the facts on the infographic in the next slide

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Human rights in the Early Years Learning Framework

Children have ‘rights to education, right to play, and to “be active

participants in all matters affecting their lives’.

Children are recognised as possessing “rights to participate in

decisions that affect them, including their learning’ (EYLF, p.9)

and… educators should, “make curriculum decisions that uphold all

children’s rights to have their cultures, identities, abilities and

strengths acknowledged and valued” (EYLF, p13).

Thus, reflecting a strong ethical practice dimension.

See Louise Phillips… Curriculum Perspectives, September (2016)

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Human rights in the Australian Curriculum: CC year 5

ACHCK025 | Content description | Year 5 | Civics and Citizenship |

Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding | Laws and

citizens

Content description

How laws affect the lives of citizens, including experiences of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Peoples

exploring how laws protect human rights, for example sex, disability, race

and age discrimination law

investigating whether environmental protection laws protect Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Peoples' traditional hunting and fishing rights and

management of their Country/Place

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Human rights in the Australian Curriculum: CC year 7

ACHCK052 | Content description | Year 7 | Civics and Citizenship |

Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding | Citizenship,

diversity and identity

Content description

How values, including freedom, respect, inclusion, civility, responsibility,

compassion, equality and a ‘fair go’, can promote cohesion within Australian

society

identifying values shared by Australians and deciding which ones could also

be considered universal values

identifying how human rights values are consistent with Australian values

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Year 9 Civics and Citizenship: Knowledge and Understanding

Citizenship, diversity and identity

The influence of a range of media, including social media,

in shaping identities and attitudes to diversity

investigating a human rights campaign that uses

social media and how members of the public have

engaged in the issue

Laws and citizens

The key features of Australia’s court system, including

jurisdictions and how courts apply and interpret the law,

resolve disputes, and make law through judgments

e.g. cases from criminal, consumer, family, human

rights and environmental law

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Human rights in the Australian Curriculum: History year 10

Rights and freedoms (1945- now)

Students investigate struggles for human rights:

how rights and freedoms have been ignored, demanded or achieved in

Australia and in the broader world context.

– The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

including Australia’s involvement in the development of the declaration

– Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning

and the Stolen Generations

– The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)

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History: year 10

Key ideas: How people exercise their responsibilities,

participate in society and make informed decisions

History

The development of women’s voting rights in Australia

The participation of people in the Freedom Rides

The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, including Australia’s involvement in the

development of the declaration and the contribution of

Australia’s H.V. Evatt

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History year 10…

– The US civil rights movement and its influence on Australia …the

Freedom Rides in the US

– See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8CAKAXR-AM (2.36)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1EDOL9II0s ( 2 mins)

– The significance of the following for the civil rights of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples:

– 1962 right to vote federally; 1967 Referendum; Reconciliation;

Mabo decision; Bringing Them Home Report (the Stolen

Generations), the Apology

– Methods used by civil rights activists to achieve change for

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the role of ONE

individual or group in the struggle

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Human rights in the Australian Curriculum (AC): multiple sections of the AC:

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/publications/human-rights-examples-

australian-curriculum

Subjects: history, English, civics and

citizenship, geography, HPE

the general capabilities: ethical

and intercultural understanding, and.

the cross curriculum priority:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander

history cultures and perspectives

But it can be argued that there is

insufficient attention to many aspects

of HRE…the focus is largely ‘about’

human rights…

And ‘on nationhood and compliance’,

(Philiips, 2016, p.10)

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Depth study | Year 10 | History: Understanding | Rights and

freedoms

Students investigate struggles for

human rights in depth: how rights

and freedoms have been ignored,

demanded or achieved in Australia

and in the broader world context.

This provides opportunities for

negotiated curriculum where

students can identify HR issues

that are of concern to them in their

own lives and contexts….

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HRE in the General capability | Ethical understanding

“Students develop ethical understanding as they identify and

investigate the nature of ethical concepts, values and character traits,

and understand how reasoning can assist ethical judgment’

.Ethical understanding involves students in building a strong personal

and socially oriented ethical outlook that helps them to manage

context, conflict and uncertainty’ ACARA, 2016)

Organising elements | Exploring values, rights and

responsibilities often used as the basis for making ethical

judgments, acting responsibly and with integrity. Students identify

values and rights promoted by groups such as peers, communities,

corporations, cultural groups and governments through an

exploration of ethical issues, and the notion of the common good.

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Drivers for the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples &

perspectives … as a critical part of HRE www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7lz3Sjl4c

…

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https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education AHRC

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Human rights in the school classroom…exemplars and resources

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/human-rights-school-classroom

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About human rights…

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Through and for human rights: Helping students requiring human rights support:

https://somethingincommon.humanrights.gov.au/

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https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/human-rights-school-

classroom

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https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/human-rights-school-

classroom

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https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/human-rights-school-

classroom

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Amnesty international

See Amnesty

International:

https://www.amnesty.org.

au/types/activist-

resources/

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Conclusion…

The contributions of each of us to promote and respect

human rights in our roles as educators might seem

insignificant…

But: without concerted citizen action to uphold human

rights close to home in places such as schools and local

communities, we wont achieve protection of human rights

in the wider international community.

Negotiating personally transformative learner outcomes

at the local level has implications for schools whose

mission is to develop internationally minded global

citizens who understand their rights and responsibilities in

local, national and global contexts.

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