Amnesty joins forces with schools to teach human rights

CHILDREN on both sides of the border are to learn about human rights in an exercise likely to improve their behaviour and attitudes to their classmates.

Amnesty International and teacher unions from the Republic and the North have developed Lift Off, a human rights education package for primary schools.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said it is proud to be able to bring the issue of human rights into the classroom.

“We live in a diverse society and it’s essential for the young pupils we teach to learn from it. These books give teachers the tools to do exactly that,” said INTO northern secretary, Frank Bunting.

Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, said the initiative has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of children throughout Ireland and not just in the simple message of respecting one another.

“Research has consistently shown where human rights forms a key part of the curriculum, school attendance increases, behaviour improves, pupil language becomes more sophisticated and their respect for the school environment and their fellow pupils grows,” she said.

The programme features books for teachers of infant classes up to the age of seven, third and fourth classes, and for fifth and sixth classes. While younger children are given activities to teach them understanding of empathy, communication and conflict resolution, older pupils learn about issues such as children’s rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The project has been piloted by pupils of St Catherine’s National School in Dublin and Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh in Belfast, who helped develop the human rights playgrounds aspect of the initiative.

“Joint projects such as these show the enormous capacity of children to develop ways of working, learning and living together with mutual respect,” said Amnesty’s Irish section director, Colm O’Gorman.

Ulster Teacher Union general secretary, Avril Hall-Callaghan, said the resources are a great opportunity to remind teachers why they came into the profession in the first place — to make a difference.

The school packs are being launched today in Belfast by Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Caitríona Ruane, whose department co-funded the project with the Department of Education in the Republic, Amnesty International and Irish Aid.

lwww.liftoffschools.com