Human Rights Education in Norway
Amnesty International promotes human rights education as an integral part of formal education in Norway and assists teachers at all levels with integrating human rights in classroom activities.
Publisert:
17. nov 2011, kl. 14:41
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Sist oppdatert:
8. okt 2019, kl. 11:30
Amnesty International wishes to contribute to integrating human rights issues into as many subjects and lessons as possible in Norwegian schools, promoting a way of teaching that helps pupils understand the relevance of what they learn for their own lives.
The overall objective of promoting respect for human dignity and understanding of human rights is already part of the curriculum for all school education in Norway. In addition, knowledge about human rights is among the learning objectives for some subjects.
The purpose of human rights education, however, is not only to disseminate knowledge. It is just as essential to help pupils establish an actual understanding of human rights, making them aware of their own role in promoting and defending human dignity, respect and equality. It also includes providing them with knowledge about – and practical experience with - the democratic tools they can use to defend their rights and the rights of others.
Learning by doing
An inclusive and participatory learning process is crucial to achieving these objectives. From the beginning, pupils need to internalise the direct relevance of human rights for their own lives and the role they play as active promoters of dignity and justice in the society they live in.
Small projects that let pupils actually do something about human rights problems they encounter, from lack of access to the local shopping centre for disabled people to forced evictions of some ethnic minority in another country, are an excellent way of doing this. However, also including human rights issues into teaching geography, mathematics, natural sciences, gymnastics or virtually any other subject helps pupils develop an understanding of human rights as a basis for more or less everything we do in our lives.
Expanding the fields of human rights education
Amnesty International is continually working to improve its role as a provider of information and practical material that can be used in education. Already, Amnesty assists Norwegian teachers and students with advice, material or speakers’ visits almost on a daily basis. Amnesty’s Norwegian human rights education package, Skritt for skritt (“Step by Step”) has been out of print for some time, but is still available online.
Having established an International Centre for Human Rights Education, Amnesty International in Norway will have an increased focus on supporting and facilitating human rights education also at Norwegian schools. Starting in early 2012, project suggestions and teaching materials will be made available online. So watch this space for more.
Read more about human rights education on the Norwegian website. (In Norwegian)
Check out Amnesty’s Norwegian human rights education package Skritt for skritt (“Step by Step”)
The overall objective of promoting respect for human dignity and understanding of human rights is already part of the curriculum for all school education in Norway. In addition, knowledge about human rights is among the learning objectives for some subjects.
The purpose of human rights education, however, is not only to disseminate knowledge. It is just as essential to help pupils establish an actual understanding of human rights, making them aware of their own role in promoting and defending human dignity, respect and equality. It also includes providing them with knowledge about – and practical experience with - the democratic tools they can use to defend their rights and the rights of others.
Learning by doing
An inclusive and participatory learning process is crucial to achieving these objectives. From the beginning, pupils need to internalise the direct relevance of human rights for their own lives and the role they play as active promoters of dignity and justice in the society they live in.
Small projects that let pupils actually do something about human rights problems they encounter, from lack of access to the local shopping centre for disabled people to forced evictions of some ethnic minority in another country, are an excellent way of doing this. However, also including human rights issues into teaching geography, mathematics, natural sciences, gymnastics or virtually any other subject helps pupils develop an understanding of human rights as a basis for more or less everything we do in our lives.
Expanding the fields of human rights education
Amnesty International is continually working to improve its role as a provider of information and practical material that can be used in education. Already, Amnesty assists Norwegian teachers and students with advice, material or speakers’ visits almost on a daily basis. Amnesty’s Norwegian human rights education package, Skritt for skritt (“Step by Step”) has been out of print for some time, but is still available online.
Having established an International Centre for Human Rights Education, Amnesty International in Norway will have an increased focus on supporting and facilitating human rights education also at Norwegian schools. Starting in early 2012, project suggestions and teaching materials will be made available online. So watch this space for more.
Read more about human rights education on the Norwegian website. (In Norwegian)
Check out Amnesty’s Norwegian human rights education package Skritt for skritt (“Step by Step”)