Human Rights Education in Indian Schools 2004-05

Human Rights Education in Indian Schools is the report of a research project conducted in India as a part of a four country study sponsored by Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, Osaka, Japan. The project was mainly designed to provide an independent and critical review of the state of human rights education in the participating countries that included, besides India, Japan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Besides a brief analysis of some aspects of the broad framework of the national policy on education and of curriculum, the report presents the findings of a survey of awareness of human rights among secondary school students. The sample selected for the survey, consisting of 2039 students drawn from 29 schools located in seven states and the National Capital Territory, sought to represent, even if not fully, the heterogeneity of the country and the variety of types of schools. Some of the findings of the field survey – for example, students from educationally backward states and from relatively lower social strata have a greater awareness of human rights than those from educationally advanced states and higher social strata – tend to negate many commonly held notions regarding certain aspects of education and school administration. The report will be found to be of interest to those concerned with educational policy making, curriculum development and educational administration as well as all those concerned with promoting human rights and human rights education.