Human Rights Education: we are all duty bound to shine a light wherever injustice arises

Daniel Kebede, president of the NEU, explains the relevance of Human Rights Education for educators, unionists and young people today.


Daniel Kebede: Each year human rights day brings our union and our movement an opportunity to reflect on the values and principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights over 17 years ago.


It was a remarkable achievement born from the ashes of war, the declaration constituted and continues to constitute a common vision for the rights of all people, when the world was scarred by trenches of hatred and conflict. The declaration forged common ground, establishing a guiding star for our highest ideals.


Remaining true to those ideals means that while we celebrate the birth of the declaration, living up to its promise means that we are all duty bound to shine a light wherever and however injustice arises. 


Among the declarations provisions article 26 declares that everyone has a right to education, yet around the world one quarter of a billion children are out of school, and many more are in schools where conditions mitigate against their learning. When children lack sanitation, clean water, adequate nutrition, proper learning resources, overcrowded classrooms and without access to a qualified teacher, it is inevitable that over half of 10 year olds in low income countries are unable to read.


Likewise article 20 defends the right to protest, yet around the world we see trade unionists and others attacked and even murdered when exercising their right to freedom of assembly. For example, just recently almost 100 teachers were beaten and arrested in Sudan for demonstrating against the military coup.


Similarly article 23 asserts a right to join and form trade unions, yet trade unionists continue to be the targets of state violence the world over. For example, in Colombia where almost 35 teachers have been killed in the country since 2018, or in Hong Kong where the authorities forced the disbandment of the Hong Kong professional teacher’s union earlier this year.


Even for our colleagues joining this call from the UK, we do not need to look far to see fundamental rights being violated in the UK. Over four million children live in poverty, homelessness and housing insecurity are rife. Right now, the UK government is spearheading the ‘police and crime bill’, that will trample on the right to protest, the freedom of assembly, and make a mockery of our democracy. The ‘over the borders bill’ will criminalise refugees and asylum seekers.


Threats to human rights anywhere are threats to human rights everywhere, and their defence requires engaged, educated and active citizens. That's why education, and more specifically, human rights education is key. 


Human rights education is central to helping young people understand their world and their responsibilities within it. It helps develop the knowledge, critical thinking and articulacy that are necessary to recognise, defend and protect human rights. 

In the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child article 12 establishes that it is every child's right to have their ideas, voices and concerns, not just heard but also taken seriously. This is one of the reasons I'm so delighted that we're launching this competition today, because it's not just about ensuring young people understand their rights, but it's also about ensuring that their voices are heard and understood.


So as such, I encourage all educators to engage in their classes in this competition. Earlier this year at the Annual International Solidarity Conference event, Michelle Bachelet the UN High Commissioner for human rights said “please do not give up on the pursuit of universal human rights”. He reminded us that as educators our efforts are more important than ever, so colleagues there is no stronger force for equity and justice in the world than you are. 


Teachers and educators are the indomitable spirit of our profession, of our movement that buttressed the creation of the declaration of human rights in 1948. I know that it will be the same spirit that will continue to fuel our fight for universal application of those very rights. 


Find out more about the competition here.

Daniel Kebede • March 9, 2022
By Ann Beatty April 6, 2025
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us. 
By Ann Beatty April 4, 2025
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.
By Ann Beatty March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.