Human Rights Delegation: teachers’ human rights competence needs to be strengthened

Human rights are not a compulsory subject in the Finnish teacher education, even though human rights are included in national curricula. Teachers' human rights skills must be strengthened without delay according to the objectives of the current Government Programme.

As the Government's mid-term review and the review of the implementation of the Government Programme are approaching, the Human Rights Delegation urges the Government, and in particular the Ministry of Education and Culture, without delay to

• strengthen the long-term basic and continuing education of teachers on human rights; and to
• ensure permanent funding, permanent structures and adequate personnel for human rights education.

The Human Rights Delegation, as well as several international bodies monitoring the implementation of human rights conventions, have repeatedly demanded that teachers' human rights skills be strengthened. Currently, human rights are not a compulsory subject in teacher education, even though human rights are included in national curricula.

One of the objectives of the Government Programme is to strengthen democracy and human rights education in schools and educational institutions. In order to achieve this objective, the basic and further training of teachers and educators needs more human rights content and a human rights perspective.

Statement on Human Rights Education 2021

Recommendations of the Human Rights Delegation 2014 (p. 23)

In 2014, the Human Rights Delegation prepared seven concrete recommendations on measures to promote human rights education and training in Finland.

Government Programme recommendations 2019–2023

In 2019, the Human Rights Delegation recommended that in connection with the preparation of the Government Programme:

• Fundamental and human rights-related education and training will be increased at all levels of government.

• Accessible knowledge on fundamental and human rights will be developed and published in different languages and in a manner that is compatible with different communication methods and channels.

Further information:

Sirpa Rautio, Director of the Human Rights Centre, Chair of the Human Rights Delegation

sirpa.rautio@ihmisoikeuskeskus.fi +358 9 4321 (Switchboard of the Finnish Parliament)

The Human Rights Delegation functions as a statutory national cooperative body of fundamental and human rights actors and deals with fundamental and human rights issues of a far-reaching significance and principal importance. The Finnish National Human Rights Institution consists of the Human Rights Centre (HRC), the Human Rights Delegation and the Parliamentary Ombudsman.