Setting up Human Right Clubs in Schools

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Don Bosco Mission, Ravulapalem: Taking another step towards in setting up human rights clubs in schools with the support of Don Bosco Mondo, Bonn, the Peoples Action for Rural Awakening compiled a hand book for teachers and students. The same was released in a public function attended by the Deputy Mayor of Rajahmundry, Mr.Veera Reddy. Ms.Susanne Arzt and Ms. Larissa Wulfert of Don Bosco Mondo released the Human Rights Club Logos and Sign Boards which will be installed in all the schools of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana States.

Since 2007 PARA has been very active in taking forward the UN call to create awareness on human rights through human rights education in schools, in collaboration with Institute of Human Rights Education, Madurai. PARA took the lead in training the State Resource Persons and State Resource Group of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan who in turn in a cascade mode of training imparted human rights education training to 1,67,000 teachers in AP. An important result of the training was the evolution of teachers hand book for human rights education. The hand book contained the instruction to set up human rights club in every school.

PARA initiated the effort to set up human rights clubs in schools with the support of DBM, Bonn. 60 women and 158 male teachers as guides; 265 girls and 279 boys as club office bearers have been trained. 6169 girls and 5845 boys (total of 12014 students) are members of 309 clubs set up in 211 schools across 5 districts of AP and Telengana.

The human rights education effort has resulted in the state government including lessons on human rights in 8^th, 9^th and 10^th standard text books. It is our hope that the government can be convinced on the desirability of having human rights clubs in schools just as there are science, maths, language, and sports clubs in the school system. This way HRCs will be institutionalised and made sustainable. The Logo, the Sign Boards and above all the Hand Book will strengthen the process of institutionalising the HRC movement. We are happy that the government has officially recognized our work. Just the last week the highest authority in the educational department has granted permission to continue this effort in other parts of the two states.