(2004). Formalising the Future of Languages Education. Current Issues in Language Planning, v5 n4 p424-437 Nov. Education is the right, but not the reality, of all. Various international trends are identified to set the scene for languages education. Challenges facing the teaching profession–in the contexts of teachers, students, teacher training, conditions and the curriculum–are addressed by effective strategies. Policy is prioritised, as it is in this area that a framework can be created to facilitate the implementation of successful strategies and a positive perspective of the profession. Existing, practical programs provide further insights. With examples extant in UNESCO studies and reports, we turn to gains recognised by this organisation–based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights–to provide solutions. (Contains 2 notes.)… [Direct]
(1973). Position Papers of the American Association on Mental Deficiency 1973-1975. Presented are the American Association on Mental Deficiency's position papers regarding the rights of retarded persons. Included are statements on the following topics: basic rights (such as freedom of choice and the right to the least restrictive individually appropriate housing); work by residents in private and public institutions (including right to compensation); protecting the lives of mentally retarded persons in cases involving the termination of life sustaining procedures; sterilization (including definitions of voluntary sterilization and legally incompetent persons); guardianship (including a discussion of the guardian's powers and duties); human rights review and protection boards; the right to habilitation (including an individualized program plan and compensatory rights); and the use of physical, psychological and psycho-pharmacological procedures to affect behavior of mentally retarded persons. (CL)… [PDF]
(1990). Literacy, Human Rights and Peace. Literacy Lessons. International Literacy Year, 1990, is intended to alert readers to the persistence of illiteracy. The challenge of illiteracy can only be met by concerted action on the part of all those concerned, acting together to conquer ignorance, eliminate poverty, promote peace, and assert the solidarity and interdependence of nations and peoples. As early as 1946, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization began promotion of basic education. From 1960 to 1985, the rate of illiteracy among adults was reduced from 39.3 percent to 27.7 percent worldwide. This reduction was primarily due to the expanded enrollment of children in school rather than to any progress in the struggle against adult illiteracy. The absolute number of illiterate adults is steadily increasing, with the figures having risen from 740 million in 1970 to 889 million in 1985. Progress in schooling is offset by the effects of population growth. The average illiteracy rate conceals disparities between…
(2016). The Importance of European Standards and a Human Rights-Based Approach in Strengthening the Implementation of Sexuality Education in Ireland. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v16 n4 p439-445. Ireland is in the midst of a sexual and reproductive health and rights sea change. The year 2015 alone saw significant shifts in the social, policy and legal spheres, including the landslide vote for marriage equality in a national referendum, and the passage of the Gender Recognition Act. These are landmarks that clearly show the appetite for progress and change on sexual rights issues in Ireland, and sexuality education is no exception. However, there is a demonstrated need for greater public and political will to put pressure on the government to generate stronger accountability mechanisms for ensuring the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme, a compulsory programme for all students from junior infants until 6th year (roughly from age 6 to 18), is actually delivered in line with stated policy objectives. Immediate concerns include ensuring all schools comply with requirements to develop an RSE policy and implement programming accordingly. There is also a need to… [Direct]
(2001). Conquistadors. Teaching Guide. This teaching guide is comprised of four interdisciplinary units dealing with the expeditions of conquistadors in the New World: (1) "Cortes and the Aztecs: Different Views of the World"; (2) "Pizarro and the Incas: The 'What Ifs?' of History"; (3) "Orellana and the Amazon: Human and Environmental Issues"; and (4) "Teaching Guide for Cabeza de Vaca: Human Rights and the Exploration of North America." The guide contains 25 lesson plans in all, each containing the appropriate grade level, an overview, objectives, related national standards, materials needed, detailed procedures, assessment recommendations, extension and/or adaptation ideas, and online resources. Handouts, ideas for activities, and discussion questions are provided. (BT)… [PDF]
(2012). A Pre- and Post-Evaluation of Integrating Sustainability Curriculum by Inserting Okala Modules into an Interior Design Materials and Methods Course. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v13 n4 p408-423. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the integration of Okala curriculum into Interior Design coursework. Okala, as a teaching package, is utilized extensively in industrial design education. However, this study examines the expansion and insertion of Okala modules in an existing interior design curriculum. The Okala modules included were: broad ecological information, eco-design history, and strategies and processes for ecological design implementation. To interpret if the integration was effective, an online survey was developed and distributed to students enrolled in the course. Design/methodology/approach: The survey was administered at the end of the spring 2009 semester. To evaluate the effectiveness of Okala modules and the perceived perceptions of the students' awareness toward the environment–ecologically, economically and sustainably–the researchers used the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) questionnaire. Developed by Dunlap and Van Liere in 1978, the NEP has… [Direct]
(2000). Poverty Reduction Begins with Children. This report describes how children bear the brunt of poverty and explains why they are central to poverty reduction in developing nations. The report also illustrates UNICEF's support for the process of improving access to, and quality of, health care, education, water and sanitation, and child protection. It describes how the participation of the poor, as well as children themselves, combined with policy advocacy, contribute to poverty reduction and the fulfillment of human rights. Section 1 of the report describes how poverty produces handicaps in early childhood that can prove to be detrimental for a lifetime and transmit poverty to the next generation; this section also discusses poverty as a denial of human rights and describes the varieties of poverty. Progress in reducing income- and basic-need poverty is illustrated. In addition, this section shows how the AIDS epidemic has seriously escalated the problem of poverty. Section 2 focuses on UNICEF's efforts to reduce poverty…
(2007). Asia and the New Century: Challenges and Opportunities. Social Indicators Research, v82 n3 p375-410 Jul. Asia is the world's largest and most culturally diverse region. Consisting of some 53 independent nations with a combined population of more than 3808 million persons–59% of the world's total population in 2005–patterns of social and economic development in the region have been comparatively slow, especially with respect to rates of economic expansion, protection of human rights, environmental protection, and the extension of social protections to the region's historically vulnerable population groups–including women, children, the aged, persons with disabilities and others. Continuing high rates of population growth, in combination with long-standing internal and intra-regional conflicts, compounds the difficulties experienced by Asian leaders in achieving more ambitious development objectives. This paper reports on the Asian region's social development successes and challenges for the 35-year period beginning in 1970. Data are reported at three levels of analysis: (1) for the… [Direct]
(2007). From Policy to Practice: A South-African Perspective on Implementing Inclusive Education Policy. International Journal of Whole Schooling, v3 n1 p1-6 Mar. The advent of a democracy in South Africa ushered in refreshing changes within the South African context. Given South Africa's dark apartheid history, every policy intervention had to ensure a human rights ethos prevails. Inclusive Education, through the publication of the policy document Education White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System (2001) set out to create a single education system for all learners within a twenty-year period. The White Paper was launched in July 2001. Four years after the launch, policy developers and implementers have arrived at a realization that there are several challenges and possibilities associated with the implementation of Inclusive Education in South Africa. Whilst there is enough reason to be highly optimistic about the future of inclusive education in South Africa, the caveat is not to underestimate the challenges and complexities of developing a single education system for all learners. This… [PDF]
(2008). British Columbia Early Learning Framework. British Columbia Ministry of Education This document, British Columbia's Early Learning Framework, is intended to guide and support early childhood educators, StrongStart BC facilitators, early years professionals, service providers, communities and governments in providing rich early learning experiences for children from birth to kindergarten. The document may also be of interest for families with young children. The primary purpose of this document is to support adults to create rich early learning experiences and environments that reflect the latest knowledge on how best to support young children's early learning and development. For early childhood educators, early years professional, or other type of service provider, this document will provide tools to reflect on the early learning experiences, to guide programs and activities, and to support dialogue with and between families about their children's early learning. As a parent or caregiver, it may stimulate reflections on children's early learning. For children who… [PDF]
(1991). Language Policy in the Context of Realizing Human Rights and Maximizing National Development. A discussion of the relationship between public policy on languages and national economic development focuses on formulation of policy, especially in the case of Australia. It begins with a brief history of language policy-making in that country since the 1960s, including early proposals and a 1990 report that has been adopted as a basis for Queensland language policy. The second section examines two primary factors motivating development of national language policy: national economic development in the international context, and human rights. Reference is made to the Universal Declaration of Language Rights, a document in the process of being developed by the World Federation of Modern Language Teachers. A third section looks at the nature of policy-making as a decision making or problem solving process, both for the parent discipline of applied linguistics and for language policy-making or language-in-education planning. Finally, the structure of language policy is examined, and…
(1985). A Model for Adult Continuing Education Programs for Retarded Citizens. A program of continuing education was developed for institutionalized mentally retarded persons based on the premise that the clients would determine the direction and content of their education. The program involves a curriculum of academic subjects, electives, a student government, and a generic education program. There is a strong emphasis on human rights, independence, and personal choice. Although the process is slow, there is progress toward clients making the very difficult decision to attend continuing education in community settings. Initial program evaluation suggests that clients have become more aware of options, have experienced increased opportunities to make decisions in relation to these options, and have learned to live with the consequences of their decisions. (Author/CL)… [PDF]
(1989). Constitutional Provisions on the Press: A World View. A study examined the legal treatment of the press in constitutions or other basic legal institutional documents from around the world. Sixty-three constitutions or basic documents from the Western World, the Communist Bloc, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America were analyzed. Analysis revealed that most constitutions open with a freedom-guaranteeing clause and proceed (with great diversity in length, language, and priorities) to define the exceptions to that freedom. Findings suggest that it is not the length or the eloquence of the provision but the spirit behind its enforcement that measures a nation's dedication to the human right of freedom of expression. (Thirteen endnotes are attached.) (Author/RS)… [PDF]
(1987). Multiculturalism: Being Canadian. This booklet introduces Canada's Multiculturalism Act which provides for a new government-wide commitment to the principles and policy objectives of multiculturalism. As an essential component of the Canadian identity, multiculturalism has been fundamental to nation building and has allowed Canadians to enjoy the benefits of life in a culturally and racially diverse society. The history of immigration to Canada is reviewed in words and photographs. The aboriginal peoples of the nation are recognized. Canada's involvement with human rights, cultural equity, and bilingualism are traced. Suggestions are given for carrying out the principles and policies of the new Multiculturalism Act in public and private sectors of Canadian endeavors. The text is provided in English and in French. (VM)…
(1980). 1980 World Refugee Survey. This report describes the current numbers and status of Asian, European, Soviet, Latin American, and African refugees worldwide and discusses the role of various governments and voluntary agencies in dealing with refugee problems. The need to strengthen the partnership between government and voluntary agencies in order to improve refugee conditions is stressed. Special reports on refugee problems and relief operations are presented for individual countries and regions, including detailed information on United States government refugee policy and sponsorship by U.S. based organizations. A directory of refugee service agencies, relief organizations and human rights groups, a selected bibliography on refugees, and addresses of local affiliates of the American Council for Nationalities Service are appended to the report. (GC)…