Human Rights Education in Asian Schools Volume VII

Chinese Study Tour on Human Rights Education

The Framework of Regional Technical Cooperation Programme in Asia and the Pacific, adopted by the 1998 Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region,^[1] identifies activities aimed at helping governments in the region develop human rights programs. The Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which organizes this annual workshop in partnership with governments in the region, provides technical assistance to governments desiring to develop and implement human rights programs under this framework.

   The framework has the following provision on human rights education:

   Activity (b): Provision by OHCHR of technical cooperation and assistance at the request of Member States for the development of national capacities for human rights education, including the holding, as appropriate, of workshops...

   In line with the framework, the Northeast Asia workshop on human rights education in schools (1-4 December 1999, Seoul) was held with the participation of representatives of governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and schools from the People's Republic of China, South Korea, Mongolia, and Japan.
   On 8-9 November 2001 the Seminar on Human Rights Education was held in Beijing under a technical cooperation agreement between the OHCHR and the Chinese government. Heads or representatives of various government staff training institutes, the Ministry of Education, universities, and schools in China attended the seminar.
   The participants in the seminar adopted a set of recommendations on each of the four areas:

• human rights education for primary and secondary schools,
• human rights training for professionals and other groups,
• research, and
• institution building.

   The recommendations on human rights education for primary and secondary schools are the following:

• Develop national human rights education programs for primary and secondary schools.
• Build on existing courses (legal education, moral education) for the primary and secondary levels, and develop human rights education programs by adding international human rights standards.
• Review and/or study human rights education curriculums from other countries.
• Review and/or study textbooks with human rights content from other countries.
• Develop children-friendly materials (in simple language, with drawings, graphics, etc.) on human rights standards (e.g., Convention on the Rights of the Child).
• Develop and strengthen human rights education in all teacher-training institutions.
• Study human rights education teaching methodologies from other countries.

   The resource persons for the seminar proposed a study tour to the Philippines as a follow-up activity to support the recommendations of the seminar participants.


Study Tour Program

The study tour to the Philippines was held on 16-24 September 2002. The Chinese delegation had 10 members: 2 officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 officials from the Ministry of Education, 2 officials from the Ministry of Public Security, 1 official from the Ministry of Justice, and 1 professor from a university law school.
   The study tour program has the following objectives:

• Study the development and implementation of human rights education in school programs, especially focusing on human rights curriculums, textbooks, and teacher training, by the Philippine government.
• Visit Philippine schools that implement human rights education programs, and meet students and teachers involved.
• Meet educators from several countries in Asia and discuss issues relating to the development and implementation of human rights education in school programs.
• Draft plans to develop human rights education in school programs in China.

   Different activities were held over 9 days to realize the objectives of the study tour program. The first 2 days were devoted to briefing sessions on government programs on human rights education in schools. Officials of the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), and Commission on Higher Education (for teacher-training curriculum) gave presentations on various topics, including the legal mandate for teaching human rights, integration of human rights concepts into the school curriculum, teaching materials, teacher-training activities, and support programs (including nonformal education programs).
   The next 2 days were devoted to visits to other institutions that have programs on human rights education in schools. The Philippine Normal University simultaneously held two classes on human rights to demonstrate how students who are studying to become teachers are taught human rights. The University of the Philippines's (UP) College of Education held a teaching demonstration with grade-6 students on a human rights lesson plan. The Institute of Government and Law Reform, UP Law Center, presented its Popularizing the Law (PopLaw) Program, which includes teaching human rights to school children.
   After the briefing sessions, the delegation devoted a whole day to school visits, and observed classes in a primary school (Aurora Quezon Elementary School) and a secondary school (Manila Science High School) in Manila. The primary-school class was composed of grade-3 students. The secondary school class was a third-year class.
   On the fifth day the delegation visited several places in Manila. The first stop was the Museo Pambata ng Maynila (Manila Museum for Children), a "children's interactive museum with various educational programs in support of children's rights and a broad range of creative and educational services for children and adults involved in children's welfare."^[2] The museum has a hall devoted to the rights of the child. A group of children coming from rich and poor communities in Manila performed a play about child rights in this hall. A visit to the Museum of the Filipino People and the Filipino-Chinese Museum showed the delegation the long relationship between China and the Philippines.
   A mini-workshop was held with the participation of education officials from Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Their presentations focused on education policies, program implementation, and teacher training. A fourth presentation on teaching materials was given by a study tour resource person on behalf of a representative from India who could not attend the mini-workshop.
   A 2.5-day session on the synthesis of what the delegation learned, as well as ideas on how to develop a program on human rights education in Chinese schools was the final stage of the study tour. The delegation explained that Chinese schools' legal governance and moral studies subjects, as well as the general school curriculum, include human rights principles. A soon-to-be published teaching material for secondary schools, containing discussions on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, was also presented. The delegation also mentioned that other publications for primary schools, teachers, and school administrators would be developed soon. Other presentations by the delegation discussed the

• education program for ethnic minorities,
• education program in Tibetan autonomous region, and
• staff-training program for members of the public security forces.

   The study tour was specifically designed for the delegation. The program covered Philippine government offices and other state institutions (such as state universities and public primary and secondary schools) that have counterparts in China. The program omitted private schools, NGOs, and even the Philippine Commission on Human Rights. The commission is a partner of DepEd in implementing the human rights education program. The educators from Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka who came as resource persons are all government education officials.
   A set of materials on the Philippine education system and the human rights education program in Chinese was distributed to each delegation member. The materials included legal mandates on human rights education in schools, basic information on the new school curriculum, and human rights teaching exemplars for primary and secondary levels.
   Two of the lesson plans (grade 3--555, and fourth year--A Wonderful World: Mine to Take, Mine to Keep) were used in the primary (Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School) and secondary (Manila Science High School) school's teaching demonstration classes. Another lesson plan was used in a teaching demonstration class held for grade-6 students in Quezon City.
   DepEd distributed copies of Is Your School Child-Friendly?--A Self-Assessment Guide,^[3] and papers of the presentors (including Rosa Maria T. Juan-Bautista of the UP Law Center).

Opening Ceremonies

The study tour program started with formal opening ceremonies held at DepEd. The undersecretary of education (Fe A. Hidalgo), representative of the OHCHR (Elena Ippoliti), director of HURIGHTS OSAKA (Yoshio Kawashima),^[4] and head of the delegation (Wang Jiaqin) led the opening ceremonies.
   In her welcome remarks, Ms. Hidalgo stressed the long history of human rights movement in the Philippines, including the nonviolent People Power of 1986. She said that human rights education is a component in all phases of Philippine history.
   She said that human rights education is not the sole concern of DepEd but also of the Department of Justice, the police, and NGOs. Now DepEd is not only working with Philippine institutions but also with those from other countries.
   She said that the development of human rights education in the Philippines has not been smooth due to the different perceptions of the meaning of human rights by different institutions. DepEd cannot resolve various issues such as violations of the rights of the teachers (which may properly be addressed by the Department of Justice), teacher-training (which has to be undertaken by teacher-training institutions), human rights violations of other people (which should be the concern of the security forces), and the necessary involvement of civil society.
   Human rights education, according to Ms. Hidalgo, is a preventive measure. The curative aspect of human rights work is the concern of other government agencies.
   She stressed that international cooperation is a productive experience. Usually, human rights education becomes active when there are human rights violations, but there should be ways of keeping it active such as through cooperation programs with other institutions (domestic and international). Thus, the study tour program promotes human rights education as a preventive measure not only in the Philippines and China but also in other Asian countries.
   Mr. Kawashima emphasized the importance of cooperation among the different institutions in the region to promote human rights education. He recalled the human rights education agreements among governments in Asia-Pacific. He cited the set of human rights education activities adopted during the Eighth Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region, held in Beijing in 1999. He stressed that the study tour program is a concrete contribution to such intergovernmental commitment.
   He mentioned that human rights education "...seen from a global perspective, is also a means of seeking common understanding of our varied societies. Through dialogue using human rights as our common language, we are taking part in developing a world of justice and peace."
   Ms. Ippoliti expressed the importance of the study tour as a component of the technical cooperation program between OHCHR and China. She explained that OHCHR has been developing and supporting various human rights education initiatives, also in the framework of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004). She expressed the appreciation of OHCHR to the institutions involved in preparing and implementing the study tour program. She also expressed the hope that the study tour would support the effort of the Chinese government to develop its human rights education in schools program.
   Mr. Wang said that protection and promotion of human rights are part of the duty of governments, which is why the Chinese government gives them importance. The composition of the delegation (with representatives from various government agencies), he said, is an indication of the importance given by the Chinese government to human rights.
   He explained that the Chinese government has been cooperating very well with OHCHR, starting with the 1999 Northeast Asia Workshop on Human Rights Education (Seoul), the 2001 National Seminar on Human Rights Education (Beijing), and the memorandum of agreement signed between them regarding technical assistance on human rights.
   He said that the Chinese Ministry of Education pays attention to human rights education and developed a plan for it under the aegis of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004).
   He also said that human rights education in China is in the form of legal education. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for materials on education about the law, while the Ministry of Education is responsible for human rights education in schools. He cited the implementation of the fourth national legal education plan in 2001, when education materials were developed. In the second half of 2002, the ministries of education and justice carried out a series of human rights education activities.
   Finally, he said that his delegation was in the Philippines to learn about the development of human rights education program. He said that since China and the Philippines are both developing countries, they share many common characteristics and can learn from each other.


Inputs

The study tour program included presentations on a number of issues to explain the different components of the human rights education in school programs in the Philippines.

Legal mandates for human rights education

   Alice A. Pañares, deputy director of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines, explained the different legal bases of human rights education programs in the Philippines: the 1987 Constitution, the 1986 and 1987 executive orders, the 1999 executive memorandum, and the DepEd order of 1987. Different government agencies implement the legal mandates to conduct human rights education: DepEd, Department of Justice, National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, Offices of National Cultural Communities, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor, Commission on Human Rights, and local government units. The government agencies involved have set aside funds for human rights education. The staff-training programs of the Philippine National Police Academy and the Philippine Military Academy include human rights courses. The examination for public service applicants, administered by the Civil Service Commission, also has human rights content. The Philippine government declared its own Decade for Human Rights Education (1998-2007).
   The facilitating factors that help human rights education programs in the Philippines are

• constitutional mandate,
• executive orders,
• department orders,
• regular financial allocation,
• human rights education as a special program of DepEd,
• coordination with the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, and
• flexible curriculum using the integration process.

   Several questions were raised after the presentation on the following:

• Implementation of the human rights education program. How is the program implemented in the whole country? Ms. Pañares responded that other regions have activities, such as the Parents Forum in Visayas and Mindanao. She also cited that human rights awareness is highest where there are many human rights violations.
• Child rights law. This is covered as part of legal education in schools.
• Does the education law cover human rights education? Yes, under DepEd Order No. 61, teaching of human rights is required in the school curriculums at all levels.
• Legal education program for the general public.
• Rights and duties. The Philippine program covers both. In China, discipline in study is taught and the results are shown in science and math exams.
• Textbooks and other materials on human rights. China will soon publish textbooks for primary and secondary levels.
• Human rights in the Chinese Constitution. There is no Chinese word for human rights, but equivalent words are found in laws, specifically the plans on legal education issued since 1986. The values stated in the Philippine Constitution are similar to those found in the Chinese Constitution. They refer not only to civil and political rights, as in Western constitutions, but other rights as well.
• Human rights situation, especially in light of the Abu Sayyaf issue. Terrorism is a concern not only of the Philippines but also of other countries. The government has responded not only militarily but also by providing economic and social services (education and health) such as psychological treatment for children who have suffered trauma.

Human rights curriculum for primary schools

   Noel Miranda, educational programs specialist of the Bureau of Elementary Education (DepEd), showed how human rights concepts are integrated into the primary-school curriculum. The rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child are mainly discussed in the curriculum. The inclusion of child rights into the curriculum has been improved since 1989 to make it responsive to children's needs. A guide on incorporating human rights concepts into the curriculum had been developed in the 1980s. Human rights education programs are being piloted in various parts of the country.
   He explained the two learning areas where human rights concepts can be incorporated:

• Tool learning areas. These consist of Filipino, English, science and health, and math.
• Experiential learning areas. These are mainly covered by subjects under Makabayan (Nationalism: civics, culture, home economics, values education), into which human rights concepts can be incorporated. These subjects allow the students to apply life skills and knowledge and to acquire a deep understanding of Philippine culture.

   Values development is integral in all learning areas. Of the 36 core values identified in the learning areas, 15 are related to human rights. A child-friendly environment is needed to learn about human rights.
   Following the presentation, several issues were discussed:

• China's 56 nationalities. Students are taught to value and appreciate other cultures, and to consider different groups as equals. Cultural exchanges are held among students from different cultures.
• Moral values. In China, special teachers teach moral values. In the Philippines, moral values are not taught but practiced as part of "needs processing," which is not limited to one subject but applied in all learning areas.
• Integration approach. Under the new curriculum, deloading is the principle, and thus no new subjects are to be introduced. Human rights concepts are taught in the different subjects under Makabayan.
• Teacher training. In the Philippines, short-term training on child rights is available for master teachers.
• Teaching materials. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supported the production of child rights teaching materials, which are distributed to public and private schools. Materials on indigenous peoples' rights were developed in cooperation with the Indigenous People's Council. A program to indigenize the curriculum uses local materials (dances, folklore, etc.) to help students appreciate different cultures.
• Legal rights awareness. In China, legal education increased legal rights awareness. With China's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), the need to learn from the experiences of other countries increased. Chinese children today tell their parents to knock on the door before entering the room, or not to open their letters without their permission. In rural areas, children can sue their parents if they are not given access to education.

Human rights curriculum for secondary schools

   Corazon L. Echano, Curriculum Development Division, Bureau of Secondary Education (DepEd), discussed the integration of human rights concepts into the secondaryschool curriculum. Since secondary-school students are older (12-16 years old), the level of discussion of human rights is higher than in primary school. Human rights can be integrated into the five learning areas of the curriculum --English, Filipino, science, math, and Makabayan.
   The components of integrating human rights concepts into the curriculum consist of the following:

• mastery and year-round integration of concepts,
• adoption of a strategy for effective integration of concepts,
• analysis of the list of competencies in all learning areas to determine when and where concepts can be integrated,
• preparation of lesson exemplars using effective teaching strategies,
• development of teaching exemplars by the best teachers,
• consideration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in making lesson plans,
• development of instructional materials and devices for human rights education,
• monitoring and evaluation of teaching experiences to improve and modify teaching exemplars, and
• working together with other institutions.

   The list of learning competencies is given to all teachers who use the teaching exemplars.
   After the presentation, questions were raised on the following:

• Evaluation of the impact of integration approach. This can be done by asking the following questions:
• Was the topic discussed freely?
• Were all students participating?
• Had an agreement on the topic been reached?
• Examination. No direct questions are asked on human rights at the end-of-theyear examination.
• Situation in schools. Reported problems in school are decreasing.

Teaching exemplars

   Nerissa Losaria, assistant chief, Staff Development Division, Human Resource Development Service (DepEd), presented the teaching exemplars developed by the Philippine government, of which there are 101. They involve different subjects in the curriculum for primary and secondary schools.
   She cited an example of a teaching exemplar on citizenship. The human rights education objectives cover

• rights and responsibilities;
• rights of children, women and workers; and
• political, economic, social, and cultural rights.

   She presented the following examples:

Topic: Citizenship	Human rights objective
To be able to introduce one's self as a Filipino	To understand that every child has a right to a name and nationality
Topic: Science	Human rights objective
To be able to explain why humans should care for the earth	To be able to explain that everyone has the right to live in a clean environment

   Skills objectives are mainly used in Filipino and English subjects:

Topic: English literature	Human rights objective
To be able to recite a poem	To be able to enumerate the rights of the child

   The contents of human rights teaching exemplars are the following:

• Rights. Based on domestic and international instruments.
• Issues. Local and national.
• Situations discussed. In the classroom, campus, and community.

   Teaching human rights in the classroom is monitored in a number of ways:

• periodic visits by supervisors to the schools (who check lesson plans),
• feedback from teachers about the use of the teaching exemplars, and
• survey of teachers' needs in teaching human rights.

   The integration approach in teaching human rights has the advantages of

• not deviating from learning competencies in the curriculum,
• having more exposure time for the teaching human rights because different subjects are used, and
• getting more teachers involved as advocates of human rights.

   The goals of human rights education are to make the students

• respect human rights and freedoms;
• appreciate differences regarding gender, religion, social, and ethnic grouping;
• recognize equality and friendship;
• participate in community work;
• promote women's and child rights;
• acquire conflict-resolution skills;
• put equal stress on rights and responsibilities; and
• develop an attitude of respect for human dignity.

   The reference materials used in the human rights education in school programs are the following:

• 1987 Philippine Constitution's Bill of Rights;
• specific laws on children and youth (Family Code provisions on children);
• international instruments (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child); and
• materials produced by UNICEF on child rights.

   Human rights education has been a special program of DepEd since 1990.
   The discussions that ensued touched on the following issues:

• Universal goal of human rights education. Similar in all countries but the practice and methods are different.
• Situation in developed countries. More rights for children are discussed and involvement of the society in the education system is emphasized.
• Protection of rights. This is a joint effort of the government, society, and family. In China, the participation of NGOs and other organizations is necessary to protect human rights. The Foundation for Children's Welfare--Project Hope has a project to build schools with a budget of RMB1.87 billion, and to help teachers financially.
• Involvement of the police. In China, police officers are invited to share with students stories about cases they handled involving good deeds.

Teacher training

   The DepEd's teacher-training program is meant for regional supervisors, division supervisors, school administrators and principals, and teachers; and also for parents, school youth leaders, non-teaching personnel, and curriculum writers and trainers.
   The regional and division supervisors monitor the quality of teaching in schools. The training program consists of the following:

• Advocacy and information dissemination (to introduce teachers to the idea of human rights education)
• Seminar-workshop on human rights education
• Seminar-workshop on child rights
• Teaching strategies
• Orientation seminar on the use of human rights education teaching strategies
• Child protection and welfare
• National youth forum on prevention of child abuse and exploitation

   Convincing teachers that they should integrate human rights education into the curriculum is not easy due to the misconception about human rights and human rights education. Teachers may think that human rights education

• promotes activism of students and teachers,
• focuses on violations only, and
• adds to the teachers' work load.

   Thus, the DepEd provides seminar-workshops that discuss the definition of human rights, need for human rights, legal mandate for human rights education, content of human rights education, and teaching and learning methodologies to be employed. The department also provides a special session on child rights.
   In addition, the seminar-workshops introduce the government agencies involved in child welfare, guidelines for lesson-plan making (integration approach), and teaching exemplars. A session demonstrates how to teach human rights.
   The seminar-workshops had some good results:

• The teachers recognized that they themselves have violated their student's rights through physical violence and punishment (making students stay out under the sun, locking them inside cabinets where they might suffocate), and that these are human rights violations punishable by law.
• Teachers were encouraged to dialogue with the students.
• Teachers recognized that they need orientation on the teaching exemplars to avoid misusing them.
• Teachers recognized that they need more training.
• The teaching and learning methodology was recognized as having to be interactive and evocative.
• NGOs or programs that can help on specific issues about children (such as the Bantay Bata [child watch] program of one television and radio station) were introduced.
• Posters informing teachers of how to protect, or prevent abuse of, children were introduced.
• Teachers recognized that they need to learn skills such as counseling to help students with problems.

   Only a small percentage of about 300,000 teachers in the Philippines, however, have participated in the seminar-workshops.
   Following the presentation, several issues were discussed:

• Participants in the teacher-training program. At national training activities, potential teacher-trainers from the 15 regions participate in the teacher-training program.
• Funding for the teacher-training program. The program is supported by the regular budgetary allocation for human rights education in DepEd. Additional funding comes from the department's partner agency (Philippine Commission on Human Rights) and UN agencies. Financial support for human rights education is included in the Philippine government's report to the UN on its compliance with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Materials used. The training activities use a variety of materials such as videotapes on the use of the lesson plans (with versions in regional languages), and songs such as those about nature and indigenous people, produced under the Schools for Indigenous Knowledge and Tradition Program.
• Training in China. The ministries of education and justice collaborate to do trainings in teacher-training colleges and centers. Education television is also used for this purpose. There are problems, however, such as funding, training of trainers, and adaptation of materials to the 29 different languages and 34 writing systems. The national teacher-training system has four levels, from the center to the villages. Recent trainings focused on how to remedy human rights violations. In Tibet, teacher training helps teachers integrate human rights into school subjects.

Teacher colleges

   Nena Asingjo, senior education program specialist, Commission on Higher Education, presented the human rights curriculum for teacher colleges. Human rights are discussed in four professional courses in teacher education: foundations of education I and II, social philosophy I and II, home economics and livelihood education, and student teaching.

Support activities

   Rosario de Guzman, director, Bureau of Nonformal Education, presented the Basic Literacy Program and the Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE A and E) System of DepEd. These programs allow participants to get a formal degree in education. Participants are those who were not able to finish primary and secondary education but would like to continue their studies. The curriculum includes human rights. Several materials on human rights have been produced for this program.
   The program is implemented in cooperation with NGOs, people's organizations, private and state colleges, local government units, and other government agencies. Around 25 students attend each class.
   The classes are free, including the materials. But some fees are required later to ensure that only those who are serious about finishing the course will enroll. There is a training course for institutional managers on facilitation, counseling, and other skills.
   The NFE A and E curriculum parallels the formal education curriculum but with one difference: it focuses on functional education. It does not use the subjects in formal education. Instead, it uses "learning strands," consisting of communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving, sustainable use of resources and productivity, development of self and sense of community, and expansion of one's world vision. Development of self and sense of community covers civil and political rights and responsibilities.
   The basic literacy program has at least six modules in English and Filipino on child rights, civil and political rights, women's rights and responsibilities, and workers' rights. The modules also include learning how to address violations of these rights.
   DepEd holds activities involving parents, students, and teachers to increase awareness of child rights and other issues affecting children. One activity is the children, parents, and educators forum on human rights education, which consists of presentations, panel discussions, and counseling.

Summary of activities

   The program's indicators of success are the following:

• existence of lobby for human rights education in government programs,
• existence of a core group of trainors,
• compilation of human rights teaching exemplars,
• teaching of human rights using the exemplars,
• regional echo seminars and other schoolrelated activities as an entry point for human rights education program in the schools,
• peace and human rights sections in school libraries, and
• compilation of human rights teaching exemplars for Southeast Asian schools.

Popularizing the law

   Rosa Maria T. Juan-Bautista, program coordinator of the PopLaw Program, UP Law Center, presented the history and components of the program. It started in 1977 as a result of a request from a peasant women's group for legal education. Since then, the program has developed. Its first two seminars focusing on human rights aimed to

• develop awareness of the value of human rights guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws, and of the correlative obligations of the citizens;
• provide participants with a basic knowledge of law as an instrument to enforce fundamental procedures of the judicial and administrative systems; and
• foster a sense of involvement in the efforts toward community and national development.

   The program at present is characterized as

• grassroots oriented, focusing on community and youth leaders (including student leaders in secondary and tertiary levels); and
• covering the Constitution, Family Law, human rights, environmental law, Katarungang Pambarangay (communitybased justice system), and accountability of public officials.

   Citing a recent Supreme Court ruling on the right against warrantless search and seizure, Ms. Juan-Bautista said that unless the people are vigilant, the law can be abused. Thus, the PopLaw Program aims to "train many minds and many voices" that can uphold the rule of law.
   After the presentation, several issues were discussed:

• PopLaw in China. The Ministry of Justice has a similar program that aims to help citizens know their rights. It covers four 5-year programs covering the Constitution and other related laws. Participants are mainly local government officials. The ministry also implements a PopLaw Program for the 240 million students and 16 million teachers. It focuses on the Constitution, civil law, criminal law, administrative law, family law, and the seven laws on education. The program produced teaching modules for all levels for designated lessons and with teachers who undergo special training on how to use the materials.
     China's mass media are also involved in legal education. The major governmentowned television station (China Central Television) has four channels with legal education programs (Let Us Talk About the Law Today, Social Fiber, Stories About the Law). Newspapers such as the Law Daily and People's Daily also publish materials on law. There are also Web sites with a legal education component.
• Lawyers' organizations and NGOs provide legal counseling through telephone hotlines.
• Philippine PopLaw human rights module. The program produced human rights modules in 1987, greatly impacting on the curriculum in public and private schools. In 1981 lawyers at the university volunteered to teach elective courses in the university's secondary school. The lawyers also trained teachers on human rights, resulting in the teaching of one unit on human rights in grades 1 to 6. An open-university course for teachers includes modules on human rights.
• Integration of human rights concepts. These have been integrated into various subjects in the Philippine school curriculum. They are taught using the SOS approach --select, organize, and simplify-- which shows that human rights can be taught in many ways.
• Purpose of legal education. Knowing the law and state mechanisms helps enforce the law.
• Use of radio. The PopLaw Program is proposing to make legal advice available through a radio program.

Mini-workshop presentations

   Thailand
   Savitri Suwansathit, deputy permanent secretary for education, Ministry of Education, Thailand, presented her government's policy and program on human rights education. Human rights concepts were recognized in the past. During the Sukothai period, for example, King Ramkhamheang told the people to complain whenever they had problems with their neighbors. A big bell was put in front of the palace that people could ring to express their complaints. The king also listened to complaints whenever he traveled around the kingdom. During the Ayutthaya period, in view of the relations between Thailand and the West, freedom of religion was allowed. During the Bangkok period, King Chulalongkorn promoted the right to education by building schools all over the kingdom. Foreign educators were invited to teach at these schools. Now King Adulyadej's school project reaches the hinterlands, people with disabilities, and areas affected by armed conflict. However, human rights were also violated in the past.
   Due to international cooperation, human rights principles were incorporated into the legal system. For about 50 years, human rights were taught only in law schools. People practice human rights without knowing what they are. In the same way, people may abuse the rights of others without knowing that they are doing so.
   A hundred Thai schools are members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Associated Schools Project Network. Teachers of English, social sciences, arts, and Thai language discuss global issues (HIV/AIDS, environment, human rights, and world heritage) in their classes. Human rights are taught as cross-cutting concepts in many different subjects, not separately. Twenty-five teachers were sent to Europe and other countries in Asia to observe how human rights are taught. UNESCO, UNICEF, and other UN agencies promote the right to education in Thailand.
   The Ministry of Education tries to provide free educational services (school lunch, milk, uniform, and books) in all public schools but cannot afford to do so. Only 30% of the schools are covered so far. These services are meant to encourage parents to send their children to school. The ministry has a scholarship program. The government also allows children whose birth is not registered (such as children of migrant workers), and children with physical disabilities to go to school.
   The Constitution provides for the right of every child to education for the first years of schooling (Article 43). This became the basis of the education reform later on. Other provisions (Articles 58, 199-200) are about right to public information, and the establishment of national human rights commission.
   Education reform aims to prepare the people compete in the world arena and actively participate in the sustainable development of the country. But while globalization is recognized as necessary, the government also the desires to maintain good traditions while imparting universal values such as the quest for knowledge, life skills, and morals. Education reform increased local issues and situations in the curriculum. This is supported by a decentralized administration system where power is devolved to the schools. Teacher development is also emphasized in the reform. Teaching and learning are now student-centered and promote active student participation; see the teacher as a facilitator; and emphasize thinking, discovery, discussion among students and between students and teachers, learning from communities, and taking examples from local experiences.
   However, there are many challenges to face:

• Misconception of human rights. Some people think that human rights are Western-oriented moral issues, and not related to Asia.
• Misconception of human rights education. Some people think that human rights education is merely a matter of memorizing United Nations documents. It is not enough that students pass tests; human rights should also be practiced. The challenge is to find out how.
• Lack of teaching materials.
• Lack of training for teachers.
• Relation of human rights to daily life. Current issues should be discussed in the classroom and related to human rights.
• Integration into different subjects. Human rights education should not be compartmentalized into social studies subjects only. Workshops organized by universities, NGOs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Human Rights Commission should help teachers integrate human rights concepts into different subjects.

   The aims of human rights education in Thai schools are the following:

• Create a society where everybody can enjoy their rights while respecting those of others, and live peacefully together.
• Put into the practice the idea of respecting individual dignity, which is mentioned many times in the Constitution.

   Ms. Savitri said that no society is perfect, but the beauty of the human society is that we keep on trying to work for its betterment.
   After the presentation, the following issues were discussed:

• UN role. Following the plan of action of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the Constitution, a national human rights plan was adopted with inputs from NGOs, government, and the legislative committee.
• Human rights education at different levels. Human rights should not be taught only by lawyers, because they cannot cope with the demand. Teachers are needed.
• Coverage of human rights education. There is no guarantee that all schools in Thailand teach human rights.
• Teacher training. Training for teachers from all schools is being done not only by the Ministry of Education but in cooperation with UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, UNICEF, UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NGOs, and National Human Rights Commission.
• Teaching by practice. "What you do is what you teach" is the principle used to emphasize the importance of teaching through practice. The media highlights teachers' abuses in school. While parents understand that teachers have no right to abuse children, these issues should be explicitly declared human rights issues. At the same time, practices that should be treated as human rights practice should be known, such as children recognizing the right of children with disabilities to come to school as right to education.
• Human rights education in rural areas. The royal policy is to assist far-flung schools. In these schools, children plant crops so they can bring something home, and parents are given the chance to decide on the school curriculum. In one Karen community, children normally study and then after graduation migrate to the cities. Thus, the parents proposed to change the curriculum to make the children learn more about their environment.

   Indonesia
   Sirilus Belen, technical staff member of the Center of Curriculum and Educational Facilities Development Office, Educational and Cultural Research and Development, Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia, presented an experience in implementing a human rights education program.
   In Indonesia human rights violations are in the form of ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, killing of suspected criminals, and others. Since 1998, television shows have been exposing human rights violations.
   A human rights education program was developed by responding to the following questions:

• How is a model of human rights education in schools developed? The primaryand secondary-school curriculums already have a number of components related to human rights, but it is not known whether they are taught or not.
• Why teach human rights? Is it necessary? How is it done in terms of content density, time limitation, and lesson plan?
• What is the curriculum design? Does it need separate subjects or integrate them into existing subjects?
• When and where is human rights education done?
• How can the model be disseminated to the schools?
• What is the role of the teacher colleges?

   A pilot project covering Java (Cianjur) and West Timor (Kupang) was started during 1998-2001. In Cianjur, 20 schools were involved, while in Kupang 8 primary schools, 4 junior high schools, 4 senior high schools, and 2 universities (with teacher education, law, sociology, and political science faculties) were involved. The schools held workshops with practical activities such as teaching demonstrations, monitoring activities, and teaching-guide writing (involving teachers from primary, secondary, and tertiary schools). Four manuals were developed from this project. The National Human Rights Commission and the UNESCO Jakarta Office will jointly publish them.
   A study of the pilot project found that there are several learning areas for human rights education in the Indonesian curriculum:

• Teaching and learning processes
• Pancasila^[5] and moral education
• Education on religion
• Social sciences
• Languages
• Sports
• Music
• Skill education
• Extracurricular activities
• Scouting
• Red Cross
• Self-defense training
• Scientific work competition
• Sports
• Music, painting, drama
• School activities
• Interschool competitions on school subjects, art, and other areas

   The school atmosphere and culture affect human rights education. Relationships between head teachers, teachers, and students are involved in this issue.
   Head teachers violate child and teachers' rights. A different approach is needed to handle relationships among head teachers, teachers, and students to make students happy to learn about human rights.
   The human rights curriculum should shift from a content-based to competence-based approach. In the competence-based approach, the teacher is a farmer who develops students' potentials. The teaching and learning approach consists of active learning and participatory methodologies. The approach aims to emphasize experiential, interactive, communicative, and reflective aspects of education. These are all related to human rights concepts. The diff rences between traditional teaching and active learning approach are the following:

Traditional approach	Active learning approach
Positive aspects • Students are well-ordered, silent, "disciplined." • Teachers try to reach curriculum targets and answer questions.	Positive aspects • Students are active, engage in self-discovery, problem-solving, and joyful learning. • Teachers are facilitators.
Negative aspects • Students are passive,talk less, do a lot of memorization, give convergent answers. • Teachers talk too much and spoonfeed knowledge.	Negative aspects • Students are noisy and lack "discipline." • Teachers need more time to prepare.

   The content-based approach is instrumentalist, focusing on knowledge and using oneway communication systems (lectures). The competence-based approach is progressive. It develops abilities. Knowledge is treated only as a means to develop abilities. This means that the teacher needs big ears (to be able to listen to the students), big wide eyes (to observe the students), and small mouth. In human rights education, students are told to bring not textbooks but old newspapers, magazines, and other materials for class activities.
   In the question technique of the competencebased approach the teacher asks the students to think of 20 questions at most per topic or theme. The students (working in groups, pairs, or other means) are then asked to answer any question. Their answers may come from any of the following:

• Experience
• Other people
• Books, printed materials
• Syllogism (logic)
  These are ways of knowledge reproduction.

• Observation
• Investigation
• Experiment
  These are ways of knowledge production.

• Exercise
• Repetition of activity
• Reflection
  These are ways of knowledge formation.

   He also discussed the multiple-intelligence approach to human rights education based on Howard Gardner's ideas. He said that the following determine intelligence:

• Language
• Logical, mathematical skills
  Intelligence quotient: contributes 15% to success in life

• Visual-spatial
• Kinestetic
• Musical
  Contributes 15% to success in life

• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
  Emotional intelligence: contributes 80% to success in life.

   A human rights curriculum should have the following components:

• identification of human rights education competencies,
• identification of human rights core values,
• selection of human rights concepts,
• identification of socialization channels, and
• construction of matrix of the curriculum.

   In the discussion that followed, several issues were raised:

• Implementation of human rights education program. The national school curriculum of Indonesia (2003-2004) will integrate education for democracy, peace education, and human rights education.
• Motivation for teachers. Questions on human rights will be incorporated into the national examination to motivate the teaching of human rights (teaching-to-test approach). This method is actually against human rights education principles, but is resorted to only to assure that human rights are taught.
• Textbook guidelines. Private publishers see the value of incorporating human rights and morals into their textbooks because they can sell more. An active-learning approach makes it easier to incorporate human rights into textbooks.
• Oppression of teachers. To prevent this, the position of supervisor should be abolished. If this is not an option, ways of dealing with supervisors using human rights principles (management with a heart) should be developed. In China, teachers have the right to be consulted on matters affecting them.
• Textbooks for human rights education. In China, there are plans to produce textbooks for teachers, students, and school administrators.

   Sri Lanka
   Kuruppu Achchigedon Premasiri Sarathchandra, chief project officer, Curriculum Development Division I (Primary Education), National Institute of Education, presented the experience of implementing the teachertraining program. Sri Lanka has an in-service teacher training program. Since national-level trainers cannot reach all the teachers, provinceand zone-level trainers do the training.
   The training approach has a top-down system and the following characteristics:

• bureaucratic,
• gives teacher-training activities with readymade conclusions,
• deprives creative teachers the opportunity to develop their ideas,
• lacks emphasis on actual relationship between teachers and students, and
• does not train teachers to create a school environment that supports human rights.

   The trainers merely transfer their views to the trainees and do not allow them to let them their minds "vibrate" positively.
   The National Institute of Education has developed teaching modules on conflict resolution. An alternative training module

• recognizes the innovative work of teachers,
• develops teachers into change agents,
• creates a school environment that protects human rights, and
• provides opportunities for trainers to add their own ideas to the training program.

   This approach allows the teachers to "vibrate" their minds positively toward protecting human rights inside the classroom. These issues were taken up:

• Need for a change in the mindset of trainers to be able to have a different training program approach.
• Cascade training system. The effectiveness of this system is questionable.
• Corporal punishment. Cases of this have been decreasing after parents filed several cases against teachers.

Major Issues in the Study Tour

The study tour focused on the implementation of mainly government programs on human rights education in Philippine schools. In the presentation on legal mandate for teaching human rights in schools, the explicit support for human rights education was clearly pointed out: the Constitution; an order and a memorandum from two presidents, respectively (Corazon Aquino and Joseph Ejercito Estrada); and one order from DepEd all provide for the teaching of human rights.
   The integration approach in teaching human rights was also emphasized. The representatives of all institutions visited (education officials, teachers, and teacher educators) all confirm that human rights concepts are integrated into the different subjects. With the new school curriculum, human rights concepts are frequently used in the Makabayan.^[6] The resource persons from Thailand and Indonesia likewise emphasized the integration approach adopted in their own human rights education programs.
   The rights-and-responsibilities framework in teaching human rights was mentioned in almost all the presentations and discussions. The materials used by different institutions also include this framework.
   The development of teaching materials was identified as a key element in a human rights education in schools program. DepEd had already produced lesson plans on human rights in 1979. It produced sample human rights lesson plans for primary and secondary schools in 1999. The Institute of Government and Law Reform produced a set of modules for primary schools in 1987. At least one textbook writer has produced a set of textbooks on certain subjects such as social studies, containing a discussion on human rights. However, human rights textbooks for teacher-training institutions are lacking.
   Teacher training was emphasized in several presentations and discussions. It is seen as an important venue for teachers to clarify the concept of human rights and human rights education (as well as their misconceptions), learn appropriate teaching and learning methodologies, and practice integration of human rights concepts into the subjects.


Highlights of the Study Tour

The members of the Chinese delegation expressed the importance of human rights education during the course of the study tour.^[7] They also expressed appreciation in knowing the development of human rights education programs in the Philippines.
   They most enjoyed the visit to schools. The visit to the Aurora Quezon Elementary School focused on grade-3 students, who showed much enthusiasm in class participation. The students actively expressed their views and took part in the different activities during the session. The same pattern was seen in the Manila Science High School and Philippine Normal University. The students represented a positive experience of learning human rights in schools. It was not a surprise, therefore, that some members of the delegation openly expressed their appreciation for the participatory method that was uniformly used in all the classes observed.
   Some of the grade-3 students interviewed right after the session said that they had been studying human rights since they were in grade 1 as part of their social studies subject. This is likely one of the reasons for the familiarity of the students with human rights concepts.
   The more-than-expected support given by the institutions and schools visited was also a highlight of the study tour.


Concluding Comments

The study tour to the Philippines is an example of UN support for the development of human rights education programs in Asia and the Pacific. The tour was a direct response to the recommendations of the Chinese educators in the 2001 seminar in Beijing regarding the development of human rights education program in Chinese schools.
   The study tour program should also be noted as an example of cooperation among countries (China, Philippines, and Japan) and institutions (OHCHR, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DepEd, and HURIGHTS OSAKA). Yoshio Kawashima (director of HURIGHTS OSAKA) highlighted this cooperation in his remarks at the opening ceremonies of the study tour.
   This multi-country and -institution cooperation scheme mirrors how good human rights education programs should be implemented. It proves the important role of multi-country and -institutional cooperation in human rights education.


Notes

   1. E/CN.4/1998/50, 12 March 1998.
   2. Tuklas Likha, official newsletter of Museo Pambata ng Maynila, July-August 2002.
   3. This material was published by Department of Education (DepEd) in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
   4. HURIGHTS OSAKA provided consultancy work to the project and organized the study tour based on a consultancy agreement with OHCHR.
   5. Pancasila is the philosophical basis of the Indonesian state.
   6. See article of Noel Miranda and Corazon Echano in this volume for the components of Makabayan in the school curriculum.

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• Human Rights Education in Asian Schools