Curriculum Development

Human Rights Curriculum Development Describe the College: students curricular principles Curriculum management issues: making Human Rights relevant HR teaching domains teaching intervention strategies sustaining HRs through curriculum design

College Location

Coleg Morgannwg It is the further education college of Rhondda Cynon Taff, Local Authority The LA boundary stretches from North Cardiff to Brecon Beacons Five major campuses: Three general FE colleges One Art College One Technology Centre 150 community centres 3 town centre shops…learning centres

Students Amongst the poorest in the UK 3,000 full-time students; 12,000 part-time Vocational students: Engineering, Business, Arts, Hairdressing, Construction, Catering.. Basic Skills Adult Returnees Special Needs Significant under-achievement 40% have no qualifications

Curricular Principles The college: should respect and be sensitive to the individual needs of students will do all that is reasonable to provide resources for effective teaching and learning Students will be: offered opportunities for progression, personal development, guidance and support encouraged to respect and value learning and the advice offered by tutors

Indicated by : analytical, constructive and supportive comments with assessed work returned with comments and marks within two weeks Students’ Entitlement: receive feedback soon after the assessment has taken place Assessment Entitlement

Curriculum Management: Relevance Relevance of Human Rights to vocational content of a course Basic assumption that relevance improves motivation One example of Human Rights practices in a vocational course

Relevance: Interior Decoration… Kitchen The kitchen products are resourced in countries with distinctive socio-economic conditions. Identify the key socio-economic conditions of each country Doors: Taiwan Floor tiles: India Work-tops: Germany Copper: South Africa

Pre-conditions to creating Relevance Teaching Team Curriculum Design

Teaching Team:Designing Relevant Resources Designed to Motivate Motor Vehicle Skills Human Rights Awareness Motor Vehicle Teachers Human Rights Ambassadors Relevant Teaching Material

Shadow Curriculum Conventional Objectives Complementary Objectives Fitting tyres correctly Employment conditions at manufacture Safe tolerances of steering components Consequences of component failure Human Rights Shadow Curriculum?

HR as a Curricular Dynamic Health, Safety & Welfare Political & Economic Primary Production Equal Opportunities Human Dignity Gender issues Racial issues Career opportunities Equal pay Freedom of speech Technological Innovation

Sustaining Human Rights in Vocational Curricula Go beyond the “charismatic phase” Go beyond the “enthusiastic phase” Go beyond the “innovation phase” Human Rights needs to be the new “routine” in curriculum design and delivery To be fully imbedded in curricula HR objectives should occur seemingly naturally

Relevant Domains of HR Teaching: a tentative model

Civic Domain: You are asked to put a “throaty silencer” on a friend’s car; his neighbour is ill with high blood pressure. In deciding whether to do it you are asked to: recognise conflict of own interests and HR justify your decision estimate the results of your decision reflect on your decision in HR terms

Employer or Employee Domain: Government Declaration: All apprentices must study Employment Responsibilities & Rights (ERR) Example: Anti-discrimination & EO Unreasonable Workload(Harassment): excessive criticism, setting unrealistic targets, undervalued Actions: keep diary, formal grievance, seek legal advice…….

Associate Domain: Through recent reports in the press and media you have become deeply concerned about….. (certain HR infringements in a economically prominent country)… Consider what direct and indirect actions you might take and the possible consequences of each action on the offending Government’s economy and that of its people

The Enhanced Curriculum:- Conventional (Skills) Curriculum Complementary HR Curriculum Analytic Phase Creative Phase Reconciliation Phase = Curriculum > HR Enhancement = New Routines Enhanced Curriculum =New Teaching Routines =“Self-Sustaining” Delivery Review and Amend Sustaining Human Rights and the Shadow Curriculum

Conventional/Complementary Responsible actions Conventional Spec. Complementary Spec. Article 29 >Shadow Curriculum Health & Safety Employment practices Working hours Article 3 Article 23 Article 24

Conclusions Learning ought to be an emancipating process Accepting this assertion it is therefore inevitable that human rights practices will form part of vocational education courses For those engaged in education the endeavour is to design in opportunities to expose students to their own human rights responsibilities Developing & sustaining human rights in the learning process requires unobtrusive intervention strategies through creative curricular structures