Curriculum Development And Review For Democratic Citizenship And Human Rights Education

Education for democratic citizenship and human rights education are vital for peaceful, sustainable and inclusive societies based on respect for the human rights of every person. Effective teaching and learning processes require well-trained teachers, positive learning environments and high-quality learning materials. This is underpinned by education policy, including curriculum development and review, which is the main focus of this book. The strengthening of education policies in the fields of education for democratic citizenship and human rights lies at the very heart of the efforts of the Council of Europe, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Organization of American States. These organisations have jointly produced this publication in order to support states’ commitment to fostering citizenship and human rights education and improving access to quality education for all.

A professional development programme for teachers, designed to support and promote the teaching of controversial issues in schools in Europe. This publication offers practical guidance, support and training to help strengthen the handling of controversial issues in schools and other educational settings. It seeks to help teachers, leaders and trainers to effectively address controversial issues as part of their everyday professional practice. This is essential if education is to equip children and young people with the competences needed to protect and defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law, to participate effectively and to live peacefully with others in our culturally diverse societies.

Citizenship and human rights education are among society's strongest defences against the rise of violence, discrimination and intolerance. However, their aims, objectives and approaches are not always understood and their implications for policy and practice only partially recognised. This policy tool explains what citizenship and human rights education are about and what they mean in terms of policy making in a lifelong learning perspective, namely, In the different phases of education and training - whether formal, informal or non-formal - from general education to vocational training and higher education to adult education. it sets out a policy cycle involving policy design and implementation, As well as policy review and sustainability. This tool aims to provide support to key decision makers in member states - ministers, parliamentarians and government officials. it can, however, be used by anyone involved in designing, implementing and reviewing relevant policies, whether in government and international organisations, education and training institutions, non-governmental organisations and youth organisations.

This is a manual for teachers in Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE), EDC/HRE textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts of EDC/HRE. The lesson plans give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. In this way, the manual is suited for trainees or beginners in the teaching profession and teachers who are receiving in-service teacher training in EDC/HRE. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for lower secondary classes, but as each unit is also complete in itself, the manual allows great flexibility in use. The objective of EDC/HRE is the active citizen who is willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore EDC/HRE strongly emphasize action and task-based learning.

This publication sets out the core competences needed by teachers to put democratic citizenship and human rights into practice in the classroom, throughout the school and in the wider community. It is intended for all teachers, not only specialists but teachers in all subject areas, and teacher educators working in higher-education institutions or other settings, both in pre- and in-service training. Some 15 competences are presented and grouped into four clusters. Each cluster of competences corresponds to one chapter, within which the competences are described in detail and exemplified. The reader will find progression grids and suggested developmental activities for each competence: these grids, featuring focusing, developing, established and advanced practice, aim to help teachers and teacher educators determine the level to which their professional practice corresponds, and thus identify specific and practical improvements upon which they can focus.

How can schools and the school curriculum contribute to building democratic citizens? This is a major question posed by governments, educational systems, schools, teachers and researchers around the world. One important way is to identify the competences needed for preparing democratic citizens and incorporate these within both the formal and informal school curriculum. Another question must then be posed- what competences do young citizens need to be considered as active and engaged in modern democracies? In 2011 an invited research symposium of leading civic and political educators, and social scientists from across Europe met in Hannover, Germany to consider this key concern facing Europe today. In examining the above questions the symposium addressed two significant issues: 1. Identify key competencies required for active citizenship of young people in Europe of the future. 2. Translate those competencies to school-based activities in the form of curricular and pedagogical strategies. The publication Civic Education and Competences for Engaging Citizens in Democracies addressed the first issue and this volume addresses the second issue. Through discussion in the invited symposium, previously prepared papers, and participation in a modified Delphi Technique the participants have prepared chapters for this book. The chapters of this book represent the contribution of the participants before, during and after the symposium with opportunities for review and reflection about competences for democratic citizenship and the role of schools and the curriculum. Murray Print and Dirk Lange are professors from the University of Sydney and Leibniz University of Hannover respectively and are national leaders in civics and citizenship education in their respective countries. They have brought together a group of leading European civic and citizenship educators from different academic fields to explore the key issue and to identify the competences for young people to become active and engaged European citizens.

Growing up in democracy is addressed to teachers who want to integrate Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE) in their daily subject teaching. Nine teaching units of approximately four lesson plans each give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for students in primary school (grades 4 to 6), but as each unit is also complete in itself the manual allows great flexibility in use. It is therefore also suitable for textbook editors, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, student teachers and beginning teachers.The objective of EDC/HRE is to teach children to become active citizens who are willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore, EDC/HRE strongly emphasise action and task-based learning. The school community is conceived as a sphere of authentic experience where young people can learn how to participate in democratic decision making and may take responsibility at an early age. Key concepts for EDC/HRE are taught as tools of life-long learning.

This book contains a revised collection of previously published articles spanning a period of five years (2004-2009) during which my original thoughts on democratic citizenship education have been developed. Central to this book is the notion that democratic citizenship education ought to be deliberative, compassionate and friendly in order that teachers and students (learners) may respect one another and take risks in and through their pedagogical encounters. In this way, hopefully, students and teachers may become more critical, explorative and engaging. - Yusef Waghid