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Thanks to you all for this enriching discussion. I would like to comment on the potential role of human rights education (HRE) in promoting non-discrimination in schooling. I begin first with a disclaimer: the principles of HRE, although well defined by organizations such as the OHCHR, do not offer practical guides for practice. This can be seen as a strength insofar as HRE is intended to be adapted to the human rights concerns of highest priority in a community or learner setting. At the same time, this does not allow us to consider what might constitute quality HRE or to distinguish between HRE and human rights awareness raising. This question was raised by Peter Hyll-Larsen and Sue Gollifer. (For anyone interested in this topic, a draft list of HRE competencies has been developed for general consultation and can be found at http://www.hrea.org/HRE-Competencies_draft-December2009.pdf.)

This topic of HRE – what it is and what might constitute “quality” HRE – has bearing on our discussion here, I think, because it underscores the need to clarify how we see HRE promoting human rights progress. In my view, HRE has multiple roles to play in this regard. The first is in promoting awareness of international and national legal standards and enforcement mechanisms (Birgitte Olsen’s contribution details these well) among rights-holders but even among duty-bearers, as one cannot be assured that educational administrators, headmasters and also teachers have a working knowledge of these legal protection mechanisms. HRE in this context would be related to the professional development of educators and would address their own rights as well as those of learners.

HRE also has a crucial role to play, I think, in promoting a culture of human rights in the school setting. Here is where we see the intersection between HRE and the human rights based approach, with HRE supporting learning and action for all community members so that school policies, informal practices, curriculum and relationships reflect human rights values. This is an important area of development, and I refer those interested to a new portal on human rights schools that was recently launched: http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=27&language_id=1 . Presumably, schools that are committed to implementing HR or specifically the CRC will carry out an inclusive, self-reflective process that would incorporate identification of discriminatory processes.

I realize that this agenda carries with it a number of assumptions, which have been disputed already by the examples raised in this forum. One assumption is that there is political will in the educational system or at the school level to infuse a human rights based approach. This is simply not the case in many settings. This reality brings us back to strict accountability and a potential adversarial use of the human rights standards in relation to non-discrimination. What is the role of HRE, then, in this context? Do we burden individual students or teachers with the task of advocating for human rights vis-à-vis non-discrimination in schooling?

I suppose that many members of this forum would agree that a multi-faceted approach is needed. Just as human rights progress will not be brought about solely through the development of standards, but through the praxis and processes that influence daily interactions, the role of HRE in promoting non-discrimination is also multifarious. I have seen that HRE can be an ingredient to a system or school committed to quality education and a human rights-based approach. I have also observed that HRE carried out in individual classrooms by teachers can be an empowering experience for those directly involved and can lead to broader advocacy. Obviously, context will influence the direction and form of HRE.

In regards to broader change, it is evident that we need to look outside of the schools. We can indeed look for allies among human rights advocates, as David Archer has suggested. HRE for community members (including both rights holders and duty bearers) would also be necessary for promoting a shift in thinking in regards to endemic discrimination in schooling.

Looking forward to the remaining days on this forum. Happy Human Rights Day and best to all!