Blog Layout

The Importance of Human Rights Education in Africa

Gus John discusses the importance of human rights education in Africa.


Gus John: It's a privilege to be part of this project and I can't emphasise enough how important this competition is.


My work with the African teachers’ unions, first in relation to the Millennium Development Goals and more recently the Sustainable Development Goals, has taken me to a number of member states in West, South, Central and North Africa. 


I want to make two points about human rights education. One is that teachers face challenges when they try to provide education and schooling to students within the framework of the United Nations Convention, and secondly when they try to introduce human rights into the curriculum, in relation to the human rights culture and climate within their own countries they face further challenges.


We need to examine how individual nation states determine what the function and purpose of education is, because in many instances what one finds is that the ruling government, the state, fashions education according to its overall political agenda. Sometimes that agenda itself is not particularly favourable to human rights.


Teachers have a major task in ensuring that the convention itself is observed, that children are respected, that their rights are respected as learners, and that they have the capacity to comment upon and work towards the building of a new social order through schooling and education.


There are many complexities within all of that, one is the business of increasing access to schooling particularly for girls, and the challenges therein. In situations where girls are structurally seen as contributing to the generation of household incomes, the question of patriarchy, and how young girls particularly are seen within communities. Whether it be in relation to early marriage, or domesticity, or whatever else, there is an attack upon those girls’ human rights. Therefore the policy context, the schooling environment, and schooling practise in those situations, become very complex, and can expose teachers to a lot of harassment, and in some cases very real physical danger because of what it is they seeking to impart to students, and their respect for the integrity of the student population, and for the rights and entitlements of all learners.


I believe that this competition will help to focus on those issues in all their complexity, and provides an opportunity for young people to use their voices in articulating some of those concerns. Particularly at this time, given what is going on globally, the pandemic and its impact upon communities, their access to medicines, access to water, access to decision making, and so on. 


One of the things that is particularly critical is how human rights is seen in terms of the purpose of schooling and education in relation to society. The famous Paulo Freire gave us an important quote:

Education does not change society, education changes people, and people change society.

- Paulo Freire

I can't emphasise that enough because the purpose and function of any new generation is to learn from the advances and defeats of those who went before them, and chart their own destiny. That is being done within an increasingly volatile political context in most countries. 


If schooling and education is not just about training young people to conform to the existing social order, however broken that might be, but about giving them the space to be creative and to envision a different world, then it means the emphasis upon providing students with the knowledge, the problem solving skills, and the communication skills to be able to do all of that in an organised and disciplined manner, is fundamentally what the task of schooling and education is.


I can't emphasise enough the support that teachers need in those very difficult environments, so it is really important that we are able to work internationally on those agendas. It would be configured differently in each place based upon all kinds of reasons, but to have that common focus cannot be more important.



Find out more about the competition here.


Augustin John • March 23, 2022
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.
By Hannah Frisch March 7, 2025
The outlook for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on global education is far from rosy. But a gloomy future isn’t inevitable. Disappointing statistics are the result of political choices that can be shifted and there are thousands of youth, grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the UK advocating for global education to make these changes. We need more people involved to build the momentum, we need to make a difference in challenging circumstances. You can help! Here’s how; Making global education a UK priority The UK is an important donor and champion for global education. However, education has been gradually deprioritised on the development agenda. Global education spending has plummeted from 13.5% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 to just 3.5% in 2023, and education was one of the sectors hit hardest by the abandonment of the 0.7% gross national income (GNI) target for ODA. With Labour’s annual budget confirming another reduction in the aid budget, funding for global education is under threat of being cut even further unless we stand together to say this can’t happen. While education is a domestic priority for the new Government, it has yet to emerge as a strong theme in their development agenda. As the Labour Party continues to develop their approach there is a unique opportunity for advocates to connect these dots and make the case for why education must be a key part of the Government’s international plans. For the Government to take action it needs to hear demand for change. There are many issues MPs recognise are important, but if they do not hear about these issues from constituents it can be hard for MPs to be vocal about them in Parliament. Following an election where many parliamentary seats were won with tight margins, MPs need to hear from the people they represent that global education must be on their agenda. With over half of MPs elected for the first time this year, many are actively looking for a steer on what issues to work on. We can give them one! How to Get Involved Write to your MP about why global education needs to be a bigger priority for the UK Government and encourage members of groups you are a part of, such as your union branch or a local community group, to do the same. This can have a real impact on your MP’s interest and ability to act for global education. You can also connect with other grassroots activists and get resources for taking action from international development advocacy organisations like Results UK. You can learn more about Results UK’s grassroots network on our website. If you are a teacher, get your school involved in the Send My Friend to School Campaign (SMF). Send My Friend is a UK civil society coalition advocating for SDG4 which supports a mass UK schools campaign to amplify student voices calling for universal quality education in solidarity with their peers around the world. Free campaign packs are available on the SMF website for primary and secondary levels with everything teachers need to run the campaign in their school. Parliamentarians can learn more about education issues and how to act by joining the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, a cross-party group that brings together Parliamentarians interested in the right to education and provides them with knowledge and resources to be champions of the issue. By joining our voices through collective action, we can make a real difference in moving the needle on this issue. Together we have a chance to rechart the course for the realisation of quality education for all. BIOGRAPHY Hannah Frisch is the Senior Policy and Parliamentary Advocacy Officer for Education at Results UK and a Co-Chair of the Send My Friend to School Policy and Parliamentary Working Group. She is a policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education in the UK Parliament.
By Melanie Lavery March 3, 2025
Last year the Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the work of The Federation of Drama Schools by providing financial aid to new graduates, enabling them to take part in an industry showcase at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The showcase is an annual event for Irish graduates who have completed a professional training at one of the Federation’s partner conservatoires in the UK, introducing young actors to the industry they hope to work in. The Federation of Drama Schools partners are institutions that provide conservatoire vocational training for those who want to be professional performers, theatre makers and technical theatre practitioners. The courses they offer are for students of eighteen years and over, who have completed their school level education. In November (2024) fourteen young Irish graduates took part in the showcase and the SSF provided financial support to two graduates who may not otherwise have been able to take part in this showcase, which is a bridge between training and their professional career. Melanie Lavery from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is one of those who benefitted from this support. Melanie writes of her experience. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for the support I received, making it possible for me to take part in the Dublin Showcase 2024. The opportunity allowed me to work with graduates from across FDS schools and widen my contacts in the industry. Coming from a socio-economically deprived area, I’ve often missed out on opportunities available to my peers. I have had to spend a lot of energy during my three years in drama school working to support myself and this has meant I often don’t have time to follow up network opportunities. In receiving this sponsorship and taking part in the showcase I have been able to connect with other Irish creatives - the people I am acting opposite, directors, casting directors and agents in the industry. These industry showcases are so important for graduates. It gives us the possibility of networking with industry professionals and hopefully the opportunity of taking that first crucial step into the profession we have trained for. As I studied in Wales, it gave me the chance to return to Ireland and to reach out to creatives there. The Foundation gave me this amazing opportunity to kick start my career in my home country. On the day of the showcase, I had such pride watching my fellow Irish peers performing on stage at Ireland’s National Theatre. Working together throughout the rehearsal period, I got to know them individually and we all helped each other to grow as performers. This showcase has helped me to create my own community of actors around me. When it came to talking with other creatives after the show case, I became so much more aware of how large and welcoming the industry is in Ireland and how much work is being produced here. I think this show case is so important as it highlights how vibrant and growing the industry is in Ireland. I feel so lucky that I was able to take part thanks to the help of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. For more information on the Federation of Drama Schools, professional industry showcases, and it’s partner schools please visit www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk
Share by: