Human rights education aims to rectify the injustices of apartheid and integrate human rights values across the South African curriculum. It seeks to educate students about their rights and responsibilities according to the constitution to create a more just, peaceful and equal society. However, some teachers resist emphasizing human rights as they feel it undermines their authority and they are not prepared for the changes in teaching practices required. Overall, incorporating human rights education is meant to empower students and foster respect for all.

1. Human rights are the basic liberties and protections that all individuals are equally
entitled to. They are rights that all humans have despite their nationality, social class,
gender, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language, sexual orientation or any
other status. Thus everyone is equally at liberty to human rights without
discrimination. Rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible from one
another because they all are there to achieve a common goal which is peace within
humanity. Before the 1994 election South Africa’s educational system was
characterised by cultural discrimination and white supremacy under the apartheid
system. Majority groups from various cultural and ethical orientations prior 1994
were in many instances deliberately undereducated. As a result those in the majority
in South Africans at the time were left being either poorly educated or totally
uneducated. Thus Education for democracy aimed to rectify all the injustices of the
past apartheid system, citizenship and human rights was not addressed in general
education at all but with democracy that would be a thing of the past.
It is one of the government’s fundamental and significant goals to integrate human
rights and human rights education within the education system and the curriculum.
As a result of the newly formulated South African Bill of Rights the National
Department of Education (DoE) was indebted to educate all South African youth
equally in human rights values. As it was apparent a number documents and policies
that were revealed by the Department of Education after the implementation of the
new curriculum emphasised the significance of incorporating human rights and
human rights values across the curriculum in education. Organisations like the
Human Rights Commission were created to be a constitutional body that would see
to it that human rights are defended especially in education. The commission aims to
see human rights characterised by these main aspects: educating learners about the
way in which the constitution and Bill of Rights impacts upon their lives. In addition
human rights should be characterised by education for social change and
transformation.
The national curriculum statement
Human rights education is gaining recognition as being a human right its self
because Knowledge of rights and freedoms is a fundamental tool to guarantee

2. respect for the rights of all. Therefore human rights education should always be
linked to the teaching practice because it requires not just imparting knowledge
about human rights but applying human rights knowledge. As a result the nation
encourages youth who respect not only respect their rights but also respects the
human rights of others in a peaceful society. The Department of education looks to
utilise human rights education as a frame to better the relations among the people.
As a point of reflection firstly pupils will be armed with acquisition of human rights
education, knowledge and skills. Secondly the development of respectful values and
attitudes and changed behaviour that reflects human rights values which they would
have learnt at school. Lastly the individual is empowered with motivation for change
and improvement in their society, they become active citizen who not only promote
but show respect. Overall human rights education is used as an instrument to create
peace, continuity and social order however to oppose socially disruptive behaviours
and attitudes. To add on human rights education is aimed encouraging democratic
principles, equality of opportunity and non violence as a resolution to conflict. If
implemented correctly and equally human rights education could seal the notions of
war in the world in the future.
The importance of human rights within the curriculum starts with in the classroom
and the teacher as an agent of change need to also be positive about the values and
the significance of integrating human rights education within the classroom.
Teachers should teach and promote respect for human rights and freedom not only
to just know their rights but teach the learners means and ways to defend their
rights. Teaching human rights should not be taught in a manner that requires
learners to hear about their human rights but they should understand them and be
able to integrate human right values in their lives, but the learners should not forget
that their rights have responsibilities thus they should not infringe the human rights of
others.
Children’s attitudes, ideas and characters are formed at a young age and these are
heavily influenced by their environment, including their school education. Human
rights education in school is an effective means to assist children to incorporate
human rights values into their attitudes and behaviours. However some teacher are
not on the same page as the Department of education’s National Curriculum
Statement plan, a study.... proved that about 78.4% of educators believe that the

3. government is putting too much emphasis on Human rights. What is more is that
teachers believe that the rights turn to go over board and undermine their authority
as teachers which makes it difficult for them to do their jobs. It is apparent that the
changes from prior 1994 to post democracy have been very difficult for the teachers
because there were many changes that were introduced including the banning of
corporal punishment. Even though this was a cruel act of violence shown on the
pupils, teachers relied on this form of discipline and now they feel stripped of
effective means and ways of discipline but to think of it corporal punishment was a
violation of human rights and contradicted the constitution and the values of human
rights. At the end of the day banning this way of conduct was necessary because it
supported the government and the curriculums goals of using human rights to
achieve social order, mutual respect and peace.
The curriculum plays a vital role in creating awareness of the relationship between
human rights, a healthy environment, social justice and inclusivity furthermore the
curriculum attempts to be sensitive to issues of poverty, inequality, race, gender,
age, disability, and challenges such as HIV/AIDS.
The concept of human rights is characterised and governed by values and principles,
such as as peace, non-discrimination, equality, justice, non-violence, tolerance and
respect for (ubuntu) human dignity. Human rights values, therefore, need to be made
explicit so that learners are able to become aware of them.
If human rights values are not at some stage facilitated or taught explicitly by means of
formal curriculum contents, and are facilitated or taught only by means of the hidden
curriculum, the learners’ inherent value 54
awareness might not transform into a conscious awareness that has the potential to
transpire into noticeable transformation.