Assessment of the Integration of Human Rights Education in Early Childhood Teachers Training: the Case of Kotebe Metropolitan University
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Date
2018-09
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Addis Ababa Unversity
Abstract
This research assesses the integration of human rights education with a focus on child rights into
preschools teacher’s training in Kotebe Metropolitan University.. The research aims to identify
the gaps in the functioning of human rights education in the above mentioned University. The
study adopted qualitative design and a case study research methodology. Data were collected
from multiple sources that include seven teacher educators and teacher trainees, five
participants in the Addis Ababa Bureau of Education and one FGD group of trainees. In-depth
interview, FGD and observation as well as document analysis were used to carry this research.
The research analysis is based on three aspects of human rights education: education about
human rights, education through human rights and education for human rights. The findings of
this research revealed that human rights education that is based on child rights was integrated
in the curriculum of the teaching University. The different courses for the trainees that have been
relayed about child rights are play, nutrition, early childhood development and life skill. But the
two aspects of human rights education which are education through and for human rights are
not integrated in the teaching and learning processes. The pedagogies that the school used in
practice do not go along with human rights framework. There is nothing that is done on building
the attitude of the trainees and other stakeholders in accordance with child rights for the
trainees from the department of preschool. The practice in the kindergartens also revealed that
children’s rights are still violated specially in the disciplinary measures that the teachers use.
The results of the study in the Bureau of Education revealed that the Bureau does not have
enough monitoring system to the violations that occur in schools and mainly concerned with the
fulfilment of the infrastructure of the kindergartens to be child friendly. Based on the findings,
recommendations were made to Kotebe Metropolitan University and Addis Ababa Bureau of
Education.