World Programme for Human Rights Education (2009)

Legal

World Programme for Human Rights Education

Australia’s duty to provide human rights education is set out in
several international human rights
agreements.^[1]
Australia’s national human rights institution, the Australian Human
Rights Commission, has statutory functions relating to human rights education in
Australia. These include promoting understanding and public discussion of human
rights, and undertaking research and educational programs for the purpose of
promoting human rights.
This submission provides the views of the Commission on what the focus
should be for the second phase of the World Programme for Human Rights
Education.
The Commission is not in a position to comment on what other UN member
countries should be doing in relation to human rights education. The following
views are to be seen as a priority in the Australian context.
In putting forward these views, the Commission draws on over two decades of
experience working on the major human rights issues in Australia. It also draws
on its extensive experience and strong track record of working with
Australia’s state and territory education departments, schools, teachers,
the media, lawyers, police, government officials and community organisations to
promote an understanding of and commitment to human rights
education.

On 10 December 2004, the General Assembly of the
United Nations proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education to
advance the implementation of human rights education programmes in all
sectors.
The World Programme is structured around an ongoing series of phases, the
first phase (2005-2009) focusing on the integration of human rights education
into primary and secondary school systems, intended as a comprehensive process
touching on policy and legislative measures, teaching and learning processes and
tools, the learning environment and the education and professional development
of teachers.
The first phase was initially scheduled to end in 2007, but was extended by
the Human Rights Council until 31 December 2009.

We urge the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to consider the
following when determining the focus for the second phase of the World Programme
for Human Rights Education:

To develop a robust human rights culture, all people need to better
understand their human rights and their responsibility to protect the rights of
others.
The Commission considers that human rights education is fundamental to
building a human rights culture where the rights of all people in Australia are
understood and respected, and should be incorporated into every level of general
education.
A broad human rights education program should be aimed at parliamentarians,
court officials, public servants, private sector workers, students in both
schools and universities and the wider community.
It is also important to develop specific human rights education initiatives
to address the needs of communities facing particular human rights issues (for
example, Indigenous peoples and particular faith-based
communities).

In Australia, there is no cohesive approach by state and territory education
departments to the delivery of human rights education at the primary and
secondary levels (despite this being the focus of the first phase of the
WPHRE).
There is also a lack of professional development and support for educators
(across all curriculum areas) who teach human rights content.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has
primary responsibility in Australia for reporting on progress in implementing
the goals of the WPHRE. DEEWR has identified the Commission’s education
program and resources in its reports.
In order to fulfil the goals of the WPHRE, the Commission has recommended to
DEEWR that there be an audit (situational analysis) of all of the human rights
education initiatives that currently exist in Australian education systems. This
has not occurred to date.
This situational analysis should be the precursor to developing a
comprehensive National Plan for Human Rights Education.
Some of the areas the Commission feels are important to be covered in a
National Plan for Human Rights Education include:
- consideration on how best to incorporate human rights education across the
  school curriculum
- mechanisms to achieve the pre-service and in-service human rights training
  and professional support for all teachers in Australian schools
- increased production, distribution and promotion of human rights education
  curriculum materials.

^[1] ICESCR, art 13; CRC, art 28;
CERD, arts 5, 7; CEDAW, art 10.