Human Rights Education


In the Era of No Child Left Behind:
The Human Right to Education



Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.

Eleanor Roosevelt, March 27, 1958


Over the course of two days, before the beginning of the new 2003-2004 school year, more than 180 educator-activists, community representatives, academics, administrators, NGO representatives and politicians gathered in New York City for a national human rights education summit, the Human Rights, Rights in Sight Summit. Along with 175 others, we five social studies educators came together at the behest of Amnesty International for discussions around human rights, The No Child Left Behind Act, and the related issue of the human right to education.

As Social Studies educators representing diverse perspectives, experiences, and parts of the United States, Margit, Blythe, Margaret, Mary Lee and Cynthia were invited to present at the Human Rights Education Rights in Sight Summit. Our presentations reflected the work we do with future and in-service teachers and our efforts to create learning experiences that reflect both the promises and challenges of public education, configured with the human right to education at its center. Like teachers around the world, we work in the "small places" Eleanor Roosevelt describes so passionately.

This article offers a brief overview of our presentations and a reflection on how the Summit relates to the work of social studies teachers who believe it IS possible to leave no child behind. Despite the negative energy that the phrase "no child left behind" has come to hold for many educators, we each actively seek a reasoned and equitable way of thinking about educating teachers and America's children. We look beyond the era of No Child Left Behind to think about how social studies education might be enacted, if we have the vision that each person is important to the whole of humanity-that each person has the right to be an important, active, and engaged part of the community.


Karen Robison, HRE Program Director for Amnesty International, USA described the work of the Summit:

We discussed issues that impact education in the United States and what we, as human rights educators from a wide cross section, can do -- not only to leave no child behind, but to help each child become an active, engaged participant in society. The challenges before the US educational system are great. Too many of our youth come to school hungry, tired, and feeling as if school is just one more place for them to fail. Laws, mandates, and policies have been created and passed in an effort to provide all students with a safe place to learn with a qualified teacher. Unfortunately, as we heard time and again, the laws that have been passed to help all students, particularly the most marginalized youth, often end up failing all involved.

In addition to the challenges imposed by laws and mandates, our schools, like society itself, are complex and diverse and they must make sure that there is a place at the table for everyone.

While it is clear that the challenges and obstacles are great, it is just as clear that there is a large community of people committed to making sure that the school experience - that education in the US - is a beneficial one for the student, teacher, parent and community.

On the first day of the Summit speakers explored how policies and laws are influencing the decisions and actions of our schools. Through a series of panel presentations, participants heard from practitioners, academics, students, and parents about the impact of "No Child Left Behind," school experiences, standards, and high stakes testing. Each invited speakers had been asked to address the following central questions related to their panel's topic as a starting point for the Summit's dialogue:

With these questions in mind, we five conceptualized the way in which each of us would approach the issues. Margit McGuire discussed the way standards affect teaching and learning and Blythe Hinitz presented her work in Peace Education.


i) Eleanor Roosevelt, Speech at the presentation of "In Your Hands: A Guide for Community Action for the Tenth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” March 27, 1958, United Nations, New York, NY
http://www.udhr.org/history/inyour.htm

ii) Summit Participants Debate the Next Steps for Human Rights Education, Rights in Sight Summit, July 31 - August 1, 2003, Amnesty International USA-Human Rights Education, New York, NY