Promoting the culture of respect through education

Around the world, people are passing through a critical juncture, with social discrimination, racial and xenophobic feelings, intolerance and violence on the rise. Nevertheless, the peace-loving people dream for a better world, where they can live together regardless of colour, gender or descent, as well as of national, ethnic or religious identities. In this regard, education can play a crucial role by contributing to counteract discrimination and diffusing a culture of respect for all throughout society. Education policy makers, administrators, teachers and education professionals have a great role to play in the transformation process 'in' and 'through' education: preparing learners to adapt to their fear of differences, increase compassion and empathy for others, and build multiple perspectives, while heightening their appreciation for every person in the world in which we live. Children and young people also have much to share with education professionals, such as their ideas and experiences on how to stop discrimination and promote mutual respect.

The UNESCO publication Teaching Respect for All --- Implementation Guide has chosen to focus efforts on the formal and informal classrooms, targeting learners of 8-16 years old, and aims to build curiosity, openness, critical thinking and understanding among young learners; it thus equips them with the awareness, knowledge, and skills to cultivate respect and stop discrimination on all levels. It also includes support materials for engaging with children and young people to promote a culture of respect for all. The Guide comprises a set of policy guidelines, questions for self-reflection, ideas and examples of learning activities to integrate Teaching Respect for All into all aspects of upper primary and lower secondary education. It mainly targets policy makers, administrators/head-teachers and formal and informal educators/teachers to counteract discrimination in and through education.

The Implementation Guide is divided into five chapters/sections. The first section 'Ecosystem' intends to conceptualise 'Teaching Respect for All' which provides a framework of minimum conditions that make teaching respect for all a reality, along with making overviews of discrimination in and through education. It also discusses international documents granting the right to a discrimination-free education, and outlines educational approaches to fight all types of discrimination and teach respect for all. Creating a culture of anti-discrimination is a communitywide process. It is important to note that Teaching Respect for All values, though taught in and through education, should be reinforced by the participation of all stakeholders, in particular the parents and community actors.  A whole school approach (i.e. a holistic approach) should be ensured where all aspects of the school environment work to ensure non-discrimination. This includes addressing how school policies, curricula, learning materials, teachers, students, administrators and communities can combat discrimination.  Curricula should be shaped around such values as a culture of peace, human rights, tolerance and respect. These values should be recognised as universal but ought also to be adapted to and drawn from local value systems, traditions, knowledge and culture. Learners need to receive training in conflict resolution skills and in speaking out against social injustice.

The second chapter focuses on 'key principles' for policy makers. Policy makers play a key role both in counteracting discrimination in as well as through education. By employing a law-based human rights approach to preventing and fighting discriminatory attitudes and behaviour, policy makers are able to satisfy their international obligations as well as personal moral obligations to provide education while creating a more tolerant, respectful state. To achieve this goal, education laws must provide the appropriate framework for curriculum development, mainstreaming principles, learning material development, teaching methodology development, and teachers' training programmes. As the prime duty-bearer of the right to education, the state has the obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education for its citizens. Thus, policy makers must establish laws to respect, protect and fulfil every child's right to an education.

The 3rd chapter offers 'key principles' for head-teachers and NGO managers and forms part of a curriculum framework for anti-racism and for tolerance and is designed primarily to be used in the formal and informal educational settings, focusing on the process of developing a whole school approach to embed Teaching Respect for All in any school setting, however big or small. Even with few resources, Teaching Respect for All is an issue, which can and should be discussed. Teaching, and thus building respect for all, is a philosophy and practice designed to be developed throughout the curriculum, ethos, management and leadership of educational settings, so as to enhance the learning and lives of children and young people between the ages of 8 and 16 years. All children should have an equal opportunity to succeed in school.

Chapter-4 of this Implementation Guide discusses the support materials for teaching and learning and suggests guide for educators or teachers. In order for Teaching Respect for All to be truly integrated into a student-friendly classroom, teachers must learn to integrate diversity at all levels and create a safe, accessible and secure learning environment for all students. Teachers should begin to work towards developing a respect-based classroom in collaboration with a child-friendly whole school approach. The whole school approach is a holistic one which points out that in order to counteract discrimination throughout society and in school, Teaching Respect for All must be incorporated into all aspects of school life; and all stakeholders (including adults and parents) within the school must be involved and have a voice in the integration and implementation process.

The last chapter of the Guide focuses on support materials needed for engaging with children and young people of 8 - 16 years old. This chapter will help the young boys and girls: 1) Think about the importance of respecting every person in the world and being treated respectfully. 2) Learn more about discrimination, why people discriminate against others and how. 3) Develop ideas about what children and young people around the world can do to stop discrimination. They can read this chapter on their own or with their friends, classmates, brothers and sisters. Young people can also read it with grown-ups (for example an older brother or sister, parents or guardians or teachers) as these people can help children and youths by enquiring if they have any questions or do not understand something. Discrimination is a serious subject and thinking about it is not always comfortable. There are activities and games in this chapter that will make it easier and more interesting in order to learn about respect and discrimination.

Education is a powerful weapon for ending hate, discrimination and violence, and developing a more peaceful and prosperous society. International instruments, commitments, organisations, initiatives and programmes have consistently reaffirmed the important role of education in creating the conditions that combat discrimination and hate. Needless to say that this well designed UNESCO publication Teaching Respect for All --- Implementation Guide is a key resource book for all concerned which will help strengthen the foundations of tolerance, promote learning to live together, and cultivate respect for all people regardless of identity.

The writer is an independent researcher.

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Teaching Respect for All —Implementation Guide; published in 2014

by UNESCO;

ISBN: 978-92-3-100025-6, 285 pages)