Introduction of human rights education into the school curriculum

Dear Minister,

A few days ago, on November 10th, an open public discussion was held, initiated by me, on the state of fundamental human rights in Greece and the European Union. This discussion – the first public debate on human rights, immediately following the publication of the research by the National Centre for Social Research – featured speakers including Ms. Marietta Giannakou, member of the European Assembly for the EU Constitutional Treaty, Robert White, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, George Kaminis, Ombudsman, and Linos Alexander Sissilianos, professor at the University of Athens and member of the EU Human Rights Experts Network. At the same time, there was significant representation from social organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Among other things, it was observed that in most cases, it is not the state that violates human rights, but the occasional majority that is created at any given time. Therefore, a common point for all the speakers was the need for education on human rights from childhood. To achieve this goal, it was proposed to introduce a related subject in schools.

A few days later, I received a related working paper from the National Centre for Social Research titled “Education on Human Rights – Design of Educational Actions for Preschool Children” by Ms. Christina Varouxi. From this text, it is clear that education on human rights is not merely a necessary tool for improving the education of our children and completing their personalities, but also constitutes an international obligation for our country, the fulfillment of which has been delayed for several years, as it is anticipated or implied in international legal documents such as the Charter of the United Nations (1946), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), and others.

The document from the National Centre for Social Research explores specific ways to incorporate the subject of human rights into the school curriculum, sets specific goals, and proposes educational methods and activities-games that will instill in preschool children the basic, universal values of respect for diversity and peaceful coexistence among people.

On this occasion, I would like to propose to you, knowing your personal sensitivity towards the respect of human rights, to ensure that children from preschool age are taught to respect human rights and, furthermore, to extend the study of methods for integrating the subject into other levels of education.

Recent studies, which portray Greek society as highly conservative or xenophobic, understandably raise concern. I am convinced that Greece, as it has done in other significant areas, can make great strides in the field of respecting human rights and modernizing society.

With deep respect,

Anna Karamanou