NHRC trains, creates awareness of human rights in schools 

 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) under the supervision of the executive secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, Wednesday, had a capacity building programme for principals and vice principals for government and private schools in FCT, Abuja on the awareness of human rights in schools.

The NHRC helmsman said human rights are freedoms and liberties given by God to every person by reason of their humanity.

“On 23rd March 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. The declaration states that human rights education provides persons with knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours to build and promote a universal culture of human rights.

“The commission in line with its mandate is working vigorously to ensure the implementation of the World Programme on Human Rights Education (WPHRE) through the Inter-ministerial Committee set up to ensure the attainment of the objectives of the programme. The commission is also working with relevant government organisations to ensure the inclusion of Human Rights Education (HRE) in the curriculum of secondary education in Nigeria. Education in human rights though presently subsumed under civic education in schools, is inadequate in inculcating human rights values and standards in the school system,” he said.

The principle of human rights, he said, means that every person, no matter who they are, how they look, where they come from, what they do or what they believe in is entitled to the same fundamental rights, dignity and freedoms without discrimination. 

He added that the commission has been promoting human rights education in primary, secondary schools and higher institutions across the country through school sensitisation in Abuja and 36 states in the federation.