Examining the human rights education reform agenda in Myanmar

Abstract

Human Rights Education (HRE) is the very basic way of constructing human rights culture in the community, and human rights education itself is also the rights of individual. This research aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing HRE at the Compulsory Education level in Myanmar. In this study, analysis of Moral and Civic Education Textbooks was carried out to understand the human rights concepts and values prescribed. Interviews with different educational stakeholders' priorities and concern on HRE in the school system during the education reform was also conducted. Based on this, it was found that the government failed to provide proper human rights education in formal education system due to the Government's priority in upgrading the outdated education system and enhancing the education quality. As a consequence, there were challenges relating to (i) government's education law and policies, (ii) implementation, (iii) teaching and learning tools and processes and (iv) education and professional development of the teachers, (v) social, economic and politic inequalities, (vi) values and belief on human rights and (vii) tension between adhering to national cultures and values and adopting international standards. Overall, there was also a lack of close cooperation between government and local organizations in implementing HRE. The research recommends the government to consider integrating human rights lessons that are in line with international standard into the curriculum for the other education levels as art of the ongoing process of education reform.