Teachers

Living Democracy » Teachers

Teachers are important key players in Democracy and Human Rights due to their position as role models. How do they listen and empower, and how do they deal with their own mistakes and those of others? How do they turn the classroom into a place in which people can find solutions to tasks and problems together? The materials they find here contain proposals for both teaching and learning, and for questions involving attitudes and behaviours.

[vtabs] [tab title=”Living Democracy Manuals” ]allvolumes-thumbnailThe “Living Democracy” manuals provide teachers with high-quality lesson materials which have been tested by educators in several countries and are flexible enough to enable both experienced and trainee teachers to introduce citizenship and human rights education into their schools in a fun, interactive and challenging way. They draw on expert authors from different parts of Europe and cover the whole age range from primary to secondary or high school. Read More [/tab] [tab title=”Competence Book”] competencesHow all teachers can support citizenship and human rights education: a framework for the development of competences.

The success of citizenship and human rights education depends significantly on the skills of teachers. Yet teacher educators are often uncertain about what this involves, or how to train practitioners in the sorts of participatory teaching methods needed for effective citizenship and human rights learning. This Council of Europe tool, provides all teachers and teacher educators with a framework for the development of the essential competences needed to put citizenship and human rights education into practice in different types of schools.

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[tab title=”Charter”]Democratic governance of schoolsCouncil of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7
and explanatory memorandum

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[tab title=”Teacher’s Training”]Teacher's TrainingCouncil of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

Guidelines for Educators

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Politics is the process by which people decide how to live together – whether it is a family, a school, or a nation. Government is the system used to make the decisions. There are many different systems of government – ranging from autocracy to democracy. In a democracy everyone has the right to an equal say, and decisions are made through [...]

Our identity is our sense of self – the kind of person we think we are. How we see ourselves varies with circumstances. It is not unusual, for example, for a young person to appear to be two completely different people at home and school. Identity is partly a matter of personal choice, and party a reflection of how others see and categorize us [...]

Rules exist to prevent squabbles, ensure fairness and help things run smoothly – whether at home, in school or just playing a game. Laws do the same for society. Laws exist to protect our rights and freedoms and create a safer society. Not all rules and laws are good ones, however. Good rules and laws respect human rights, are practicable [...]

Freedom to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority is an important human right. It is also important for democracy. The media enable people to access information and exchange opinions about what is happening in the world - essential for informed decision-making. But they can also be used [...]

Disputes over competing priorities, needs and interests are a part of life in any society. Some societies try to hide conflict of this kind, thinking talking about it undermines social harmony. In democratic societies, however, people are encouraged to articulate and discuss their differences openly. It makes for more effective [...]

Human rights and freedoms exist to help people live happy and fulfilled lives. They are meant for everyone - regardless of background or position in society. ‘Absolute’ rights and freedoms are ones which should never be taken away, e.g., freedom from torture. ‘Qualified’ ones, however, may be restricted to protect the rights and freedoms [...]

In any society there are different values and ways of life. Some societies discourage diversity – they make everyone follow the ‘official’ line. Yet freedom to live one’s life as one chooses is a basic aspect of human rights. A society which respects human rights must be a pluralistic one – one which treats all ways of life with equal respect. [...]

For human rights and freedoms to be enjoyed by all, it is not enough to have them written in to the law. The law cannot do everything by itself - individuals need to take responsibility as well. People need to be prepared to stand up for the rights of other people as well as for their own, and give up some of their freedoms if it helps others to enjoy theirs. [...]

Human beings are all born with the same basic needs and desires. We all want to be safe, be respected and allowed to make our own decisions. This is why human rights and freedoms apply equally to everyone. But equality does not always mean treating everyone the same. It would be unfair for example, for a wheel-chair user [...]