Répondre au commentaire

Thanks for providing the opportunity to respond to these important issues. I am currently formulating my own ideas and theories around HRE with the intention to carry out a research study on the topic and these discussions are contributing enormously to my thought process. So, thank you. The process has raised similar questions and thoughts on the role of rights holders and duty bearers and ultimately the responsibility that is placed on the classroom. However, my main concern is the role of duty bearers in the form of donor governments/countries. Guided by international standards/indicators represented by the MDGs; EFA goals; INEE etc., donor countries and institutions are in a position of power to advocate for HRE which has the strong potential to address the needs of rights holders. However, in my experience of over 15 years in development and education work, it is so often the case that this position of power is used to perpetuate duty bearers’ violation of human rights through the lack of accountability placed on recipient countries to respond to, adopt and monitor an HRE approach. Moreover, I often ask myself to what extent a human rights-based approach to education is applied and monitored in industrialised/donor countries. Irrespective of a country’s wealth, children from poor backgrounds and marginalised sectors of society are discriminated against, albeit indirectly and perhaps unconsciously, in many contexts. This still amounts to discrimination, be it a result of conscious action or ignorance and lack of awareness. In other words, are donor countries practising what they preach within their own education systems and is there a need to develop a universal standard to guide the development of human rights education based on the universal declaration of human rights and CRC – a standard distinct from existing standards that already exist (MDGs; EFA goals; INEE indicators etc.)? Perhaps there is already one? Could then such a tool lead to donor countries and recipient countries becoming more accountable to ensure that development aid in education responds to right holders’ needs rather than perpetuates the violation of human rights by duty bearers, either intentionally or unintentionally. Thanks again for such an informative forum.