Experts discuss human rights education
Experts discuss human rights education
JAKARTA (JP): The inclusion of human rights in the national
education curriculum should put emphasis on practical application
rather than theory, experts said yesterday.
University of Diponegoro rector Muladi said the teaching of
human rights should not merely be based on classroom aphorisms,
but on core values which can be applied in everyday life.
"It is best for human rights education to focus on 'living
human rights' and not center on concepts and theories, or
intellectual content. The focus should be on what's called
'actual content'," said Muladi, who is a member of the National
Commission on Human Rights.
Muladi was among the several speakers at a national symposium
on Human Rights in the National Education Agenda which was
organized by the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals
(ICMI). Other speakers included Minister of Education and Culture
Wardiman Djojonegoro and Yusril Ihza Mahendra of the School of
Law of the University of Indonesia.
Muladi argued that the "core value" of human rights, such as
respect, equality, justice, freedom. democracy, rights and
obligations, must be disseminated, so students can fully
appreciate and apply them.
"Academic advancement in this field must be adequately
balanced with practical comprehension," he said.
He added that awareness of obligations to society is another
important aspect of rights education.
He said such a curriculum should be applied fully and adjusted
to all levels of education.
He said the material taught at the elementary level must
differ from that presented at university level.
"At every level of education there would be a different color
and a different dimension to the material taught," he said.
Minister Wardiman said there are two ways in which human
rights could be taught. He cited the integrative and monolithic
approaches .
The first approach incorporates or integrates human rights
teaching into already existing and relevant subjects, while the
latter would mean setting up a separate new course which deals
specifically with the issue.
"The integrative approach is really more appropriate for the
elementary and secondary level because human rights education is
essentially the teaching of values," he said.
Wardiman explained that it is during the early stages of
education that children are most susceptible to the transfer of
values.
Academic Yusril Mahendra, while supporting the need for formal
human rights education, suggested that military and government
institutions should be prioritized.
His suggestion stemmed from the fact that allegations are
frequently heard that the military is involved in human rights
violations.
Muladi rejected Yusril's views, saying that approach would
create a dichotomy.
"Everyone is a potential human rights violator. It wouldn't be
right for us to blame a specific group because anyone can violate
human rights," Muladi said. (mds)
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