Using Human Rights Education to improve school safeguarding

In the paper upon which this seminar is based, Alison writes:

It feels rather like stating the obvious to suggest that if you show someone what violations of human rights look like, they will be better able to recognise these in their own lives. And to take it one step further, if you show them what human rights violations look like and tell them what they can do to challenge or remedy these, they will be better equipped to recognise and address rights breaches in their lived experiences. Obvious, yes? However, this basic premise is something that has often been overlooked in the discourse on why teaching HRE in an age appropriate manner at all stages of formal education is of considerable importance.

Full article can be accessed here .

In this presentation and ensuing discussion we shall look at how HRE – teaching about, through and for human rights- can strengthen the ability of children to recognise and speak up for their own and each other’s safety and wellbeing. Following from that is the challenge of how safeguarding training in schools might be set within a holistic human rights education framework.

Initial findings from recently-gathered empirical data from teachers in England and Scotland will be shared

The two presenters who will lead the discussion are:

DR.ALISON STRUTHERS. Associate Professor, School of Law Warwick University. Alison is also a Research Associate and Project Manager for the Centre for Human Rights in Practice, heading up the Centre’s work on Human Rights Education, and is Book and Media Reviews editor for Human Rights Education Review.

Her work has addressed issues of: human rights education; children’s participation and empowerment; safeguarding; privacy; British values; children’s rights literature; children’s legal education and media sensationalism around human rights in the UK.

DR.RUTH BRITTLE. Lecturer Nottingham Law School.

Ruth was a practising Solicitor for 13 years specialising in claims arising from historic child abuse in local authority children’s homes and child protection cases.

Her research interests include children’s rights, international refugee law, immigration and asylum law and international human rights. Recent research focuses on refugees in education.