2016 Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe

Questionnaire filled in by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Q1 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…

a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a medium extent

b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a great extent

c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a medium extent

d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent

Q2 In your country, is priority given to…

a) … EDC/HRE at national government level
To a large extent

b) … EDC/HRE at local government level
To a little extent

c) … EDC/HRE at educational institution level (school, college, university)
To a little extent

d) … supporting training about EDC/HRE for teachers and school leaders
To a large extent

e) … making resources / materials about EDC/HRE available
To a large extent

f) … making financial support for EDC/HRE available
To a little extent

g) … supporting co-operation with NGOs, including youth organisations, in the field of EDC/HRE?
To a fair extent

Further comments

Q3 What is needed for citizenship and human rights education to receive a greater priority in your country?

a) Improved awareness of relevance of EDC/HRE for meeting the current challenges in our societies
To a large extent

b) Availability of data on effectiveness of EDC/HRE with respect to meeting the current challenges in our societies, including examples of good practice
To a large extent

c) Advocacy by civil society organisations
Not at all

d) Advocacy by prominent personalities
To a little extent

e) Increased visibility of EDC/HRE in the media coverage
Not at all

f) Political will
Not at all

g) Political pressure from regional and international institutions
Not at all

h) More resources allotted to EDC/HRE
To a little extent

i) Other
Not at all

Please specify “other”

Further comments

Q4 In your country, are there any inconsistencies between...

a)…statements of principle (on the value of EDC/HRE in education for all people) and existing education policies?
Not at all

b)…EDC/HRE policies and their implementation in practice?
To a fair extent

c)…EDC/HRE policies and other policy sectors?
Not at all

Please describe the existing inconsistences:
Implementation of citizenship education in schools is an ongoing process, not easy to influence, partly because of the high autonomy given to schools in The Netherlands. A bottom-up approach takes time. The urgency seen and felt in policy and politics is not seen yet in all schools at the same level.

Further comments

Q5 In your country, have strategic approaches / measures been taken to counter these inconsistencies, since 2012?

Yes

If yes, please specify:
We provide schools with all necessary support. Also we are strengthening the position of EDC/HRE in curricula of primary and secondary education and VET.

If no, please explain why not:

Further comments

Q6 Have concrete measures/activities been taken to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country since 2012, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter? (NB: this includes work done in the framework of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education and other relevant international programmes and initiatives)

Yes

If yes, please specify:
National institute for curriculum development (SLO) provides a citizenship program, a national conference and the website ‘Citizenship in the school’ for primary and secondary education. In several teacher training programmes special attention is given to EDC/HRE.

If no, please explain why not:

Further comments

Q7 Are there any measures/activities planned to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charter?

Yes

If yes, please specify:
We continue to promote EDC/HRE among schools as a core objective of education, and we continue to support schools to strengthen EDC/HRE.

If no, please explain why not:

Further comments

Q8 Is the Charter…

a)…available in the language(s) of your country?
No

b)…available in the minority language(s) of your country?
No

c)…available on the website of the Ministry of Education or another relevant body?
No

d)… disseminated to the target audiences by other means?
No

If no, please explain why not:
We seldom publish these kinds of texts.

Further comments

Q9 The Council of Europe has produced a number of tools and resources to promote and support citizenship and human rights education within and across the States Party to the European Cultural Convention. These tools and resources are available at: www.coe.int/en/web/edc/resources and at: www.coe.int/compass (Please indicate the usefulness, in your country, of the following Council of Europe tools and resources.)

a) Charter on EDC/HRE
I do not know/Information not available

b) Strategic Support for Decision-makers: Policy Tool for EDC/HRE
I do not know/Information not available

c) Democratic Governance of Schools
I do not know/Information not available

d) How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competencies
I do not know/Information not available

d) Quality Assurance of EDC in Schools
I do not know/Information not available

e) School-Community-University Partnerships for Sustainable Democracy: EDC in Europe and the US
I do not know/Information not available

f) Living Democracy' Manuals for Teachers
I do not know/Information not available

g) A Compendium of Good Practice in HRE
I do not know/Information not available

h) Compass, manual for human rights education with young people
I do not know/Information not available

i) Compasito, manual for human rights education with children
I do not know/Information not available

j) Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
I do not know/Information not available

k) Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship and human rights education
I do not know/Information not available

l) Multimedia Material (ex. video “Beat Bullying”, series of cartoons “Democracy and Human Rights at School”, video “Corporal punishment at school : how two parents decided to change things”)
I do not know/Information not available

m) “Freedom(s) - Learning activities for secondary schools on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights
I do not know/Information not available

Other (please specify: ______)
I do not know/Information not available

If these resources were useful, please specify:

If these resources were not useful, please specify:
We cannot answer this question. It is up to the institution to decide the usefulness of instruments and tools, not the Ministry.

Further comments

 

QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF THE CHARTER

SECTION 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 3. Relationship between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education

Q10 Is there a shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education in your country?

Yes

In case if there is no shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education, please explain why not:

Please provide the name of the term in English and in original language as well as its definition and indicate the references and/or web link.
We speak of Citizenship education, including human rights education (burgerschapsonderwijs, inclusief mensen- en kinderrechten), as stated in a policy letter to the Lower House on strengthening EDC:
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2013/12/16/kamerbrief-over-burgerschap-in-het-onderwijs

 

SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES

Article 5. Objectives and Principles

Q11 In your country, to what extent do education laws, policies, and strategic objectives explicitly refer to citizenship and human rights education

a) … in formal education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level?

b) … in vocational education and training?

c) … in higher education?

d) … in the training of education personnel?

e) … in youth policy and non-formal education?

In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do refer explicitly to EDC/HRE, please specify:

In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do not explicitly refer EDC/HRE, please explain why not:
Not known, due to (constitutional) autonomy for education institutions.

 

SECTION 3: POLICIES

Article 6. Formal general and vocational education

Q12 In your country is education for democratic citizenship and human rights promoted as follows in schools and colleges:

a) specific subject matter – obligatory

Please provide further details including web links where appropriate:
a) There is an obligation by law (about Citizenship, 2005) for primary, secondary and vocational schools, but it is up to the educational institutions to implement this in their programs.

Further comments

Q13 If citizenship and human rights education is included in the curricula in your country, has it been subject to revision and updating since 2012 at...

a) … pre-primary education?
No

b) … primary school?
No

c) … lower secondary school (including vocational)?
No

d) … upper secondary school (including vocational)?
No

If no, please explain why not:
In 2005, the Dutch parliament agreed to the legislative proposal that schools should promote and stimulate active citizenship and social integration. Since then we are promoting and stimulating schools to provide EDC/HRE of good quality. In 2015, the Dutch government launched an initiative to develop a new national curriculum for primary and secondary education, with EDC/HRE as one of the priorities. To this date a public debate on educational content started in February 2015.

If yes, then what are/were the key challenges? How will they be / how were they overcome?

To what extent was the revision and updating process inclusive and participatory?

Further comments

Article 7. Higher education

Q14 To what extent is citizenship and human rights education provision promoted in higher education institutions in your country?

 

If not at all or scarcely, please explain why:

If extensively, please explain why and provide examples:

Further comments
This is not known, due to the autonomy of the higher education institutions. For sure, there exists a group of enthusiastic institutions taking the lead on societal subjects and Bildung (education).

 

Article 8. Democratic governance

Q15 In your country, are there any education laws, policies and strategies that promote democratic governance in educational institutions, particularly schools, concerning…

a) … decision making procedures (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes

b) … school culture / rules?
Yes

c) … pupil / student participation (e.g. school / student councils)?
Yes

d) … parental / family involvement in schools (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes

e) …school / community links (in and out of school)?
Yes

If yes, please specify:
Pupils and parents are stimulated to take part in the democratic process. By law there is a right of say for parents (in primary and secondary education), pupils/participants (from secondary education) and professionals on various topics concerning governance of educational institutions.

If no, please explain why not:

Further comments

 

Article 9. Training

Q16 In your country, is there a provision for citizenship and human rights education in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and other types of training for…

a) … teachers?
Yes

b) … school leaders?
Yes

c) … other education staff?
No

d) … youth leaders (in and out of school)?
No

e) … teacher trainers / trainers of trainers?
Yes

f) … parents?
No

If yes, please specify:

If no, please explain why not:
As a teacher, it is an essential part of the job to have EDC/HR knowledge. We are not sure about the existing training on this topics. Teacher training course materials have been developed with cooperation from the Ministry of Social Affairs and higher educational institutions. These new course materials are based on peer education methodologies, demonstrated to be an effective method to discuss sensitive topics such as the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia and other related issues. We have seen inspiring examples of teachers in secondary and vocational schools sharing knowledge and experience on radicalization through their networks. Peer education approaches to discuss sensitive topics are also common among various educational NGOs that receive subsidies from the Dutch government.

If to some extent, please specify:

Further comments

Provide examples of good practice:

 

Article 10. Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders

Q17 To what extent, in your country, is there co-operation and support between the government and the following organisations and groups that foster citizenship and human rights education?

a) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
To a fair extent

b) Youth organisations
To a fair extent

c) Community groups
To a fair extent

d) Parents' groups
Not at all

e) Other (please specify: ______)

If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
Unfortunately we do not know of a parents’ group that is acting on this subject.

If to a large extent, please explain the factors for success:

Provide examples of good practice:

Further comments

 

Article 11. Criteria for evaluation

Q18 In your country, have criteria been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship and human rights education programmes?

Yes

Further information:
The inspectorate of education reviews the efforts of schools on EDC/HRE. Currently research is being done on the development of EDC among pupils on a variety of schools, with a variety of approaches.

Please provide examples of how these criteria have been developed, reviewed and used:

To what extent have they been useful?

Provide examples of good practice:

 

Article 12. Research

Q19 In your country, to what extent has research been initiated and promoted on citizenship and human rights education to take stock of the current situation?

To a moderate extent

If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:

What needs to be done to obtain stronger support for such research?

Further comments
We do have an online portal, with an overview of teaching materials on EDC/HRE.

 

Article 13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict

Q20 In your country, to what extent are educational approaches and teaching methods promoted that enable pupils/students to acquire competences to…

a) … promote social cohesion?
To a moderate extent

b) … value diversity and equality (particularly between different faiths and ethnic groups)?
To a large extent

c) … settle disagreements and conflicts in a non-violent manner?
To a moderate extent

d) … combat all forms of discrimination and violence (especially bullying)?
To a large extent

If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:

What needs to be done to encourage more active promotion of such educational approaches and teaching methods?

Further comments
The Dutch education system is infused with many targets pertaining to the promotion of understanding, respect, and critical thinking. In primary schools, for instance, a key attainment target relates to orientation towards oneself and the world. Children are expected to gain competences on how to live together with others, how to solve problems and how they give meaning to their lives. They learn how to be a responsible citizen in a democratic society. Similar attainment targets can be found in secondary education. The Dutch government, in 2010, confirmed that education about LGBT issues would be a priority area in both primary and secondary education. ‘Gay-Straight Alliances’ (originally from the USA) have been active at schools in the Netherlands since 2009. In 2012, the Dutch government changed its educational goals in education related to sexuality and sexual diversity, officially obliging schools to incorporate education about the topic in their curriculum. On May 26, 2015 a law on social safety in schools was adopted. From August 1, 2015 onwards, schools are obliged to provide a socially safe school environment.

 

SECTION 4: EVALUATION AND COOPERATION

 

Article 14. Evaluation and review

Q21 Has any action been taken or foreseen to evaluate strategies and policies undertaken in accordance with the aims and principles of the Charter?

Yes

If not, please explain why not:

If yes, please provide links to the relevant monitoring and evaluation reports:

What were the key conclusions?
For example: in July 2014, Dutch Gay-Straight Alliances were extensively evaluated and officially recognized as a successful intervention by the RIVM, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands.

Who takes part in the evaluation process?

Example of good practice:

Further comments:

 

Article 15. Co-operation in follow-up activities

Q22 In your country, have any co-operation activities with other countries been organised or planned in pursuing the aims and principles of the Charter?

No

If not, please explain why not:
We are actively engaged in peer learning activities in European context, but not engaged in cooperation or joint policy programmes.

Example of good practice:

What is required to encourage such cooperation activities?

Further comments

 

Article 16. International and European co-operation

Q23 In your country, is there co-operation and collaboration on citizenship and human rights education with the following organisations / institutions?

a) Council of Europe (CoE)
No

b) United Nations system (UN) (including UNESCO and UN OHCHR)
Yes

c) Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
No

d) European Union (EU) (including European Commission)
Yes

e) Other international/ European organisations
No

Please specify 'Other international/ European organisations'

What are your expectations from such cooperation?

To what extent are these expectations met?

How could such cooperation be made more useful?

Further comments

Q24 In what ways is / can the Charter review process be of support to the countries? [Please rank from 1 (not useful)- 5 (very useful)]

a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
1

b) An opportunity to promote good practice
4

c) A support tool for dialogue with other countries and within the country
3

d) Access to expertise from other countries and from international institutions
3

e) Other

Please specify other

Q25 What are your expectations from the Council of Europe? [Please indicate the current level of satisfaction from 1 (not useful) - 5 (very useful) for each expectation]

a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
2

b) Opportunities for sharing and cooperation with other countries
4

c) Provision of a shared framework of reference / common standards
4

d) Impetus for dialogue and cooperation within the country
1

e) Authoritative encouragement to ensure respect of commitments
1

f) Technical advice / technical assistance
2

g) Access to the network of key actors in the member states through the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of local and regional authorities and the INGO Conference and the HR Commissioner as well as various monitoring bodies (such as ECRI) as a means of raising visibility of EDC/HRE
4

h) Other

Please specify other

Q26 What are the key challenges to the promotion and development of citizenship and human rights education in your country? (Please indicate the level of impact of each challenge)

a) Lack of priority among decision makers (other areas given more priority)
Low impact

b) Lack of awareness/interest/support among education professionals
Medium impact

c) Impact of the economic crisis/recession
Low impact

d) Reduction/cuts in funding
Low impact

e) Decentralised education system
Medium impact

f) Changing political context (e.g. change of government)
Low impact

g) Reduction of support networks (NGOs, parent and youth groups etc.)
Low impact

h) Lack of public interest and support
Low impact

i) Lack of media interest and support
Low impact

j) Lack of support from European organisations (Council of Europe, EU etc.)
Low impact

k)Other

Please specify other

Further comments (half a page maximum):

 

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE

There are plans to repeat this questionnaire in 5 years’ time to get a further sense of the progress of the States Party to the European Cultural Convention in pursuing the aims and principles for citizenship and human rights education promoted by the present Charter. It is also proposed to design the questionnaire focusing on particular areas.

Q27 What particular areas should the follow-up Questionnaire focus on for the next review cycle? (Please indicate the level of priority for each area)

a) Formal general (pre-primary, primary and secondary school) and vocational education
High

b) Higher education
Medium

c) Pre-school education
Low

d) Democratic governance of educational institutions
Medium

e) Training (initial and on-going)
Medium

f) Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
High

g) Criteria for evaluation
Low

h) Research
Medium

i) Social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Medium

j) Evaluation and review
Medium

k) International and European co-operation
Low

l) Other

Please specify other

Q28 How can this questionnaire be improved in order to ensure that the data collection is meaningful and useful in terms of encouraging further progress in citizenship and human rights education?

 

Q29 To what extent the process of preparation of the reply to this questionnaire was constructive and participatory? [Please rank from 1 (poor)- 5 (excellent)]

 

Further comments:

FOCUS GROUP 2016: PARLIAMENTARIANS

NB: The questions below are to be addressed to the Education Commission in the National Parliament or other similar bodies

Please indicate which body has been contacted

Q30 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…

a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?

b) … integration of migrants and refugees?

c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?

d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?

Further comments:

Q31 What legislation has been adopted in the last 5 years or is in preparation, with a view to support and promote citizenship and human rights education?

 

Q32 What are the thematic areas of education of particular concern to your Committee in this respect?

 

Q33 Do you have any further comments to make not provided elsewhere? If so, please use the space below.

 

Q34 Further comments on citizenship and human rights education in the country:

 

 

Other contributors contacted by the respondent, including representatives of:

1. Ministries:

2. Research institutions:

3. Education professionals:

4. Civil society organisations:

a. Teachers organisations:

b Youth organisations

c Children organisations

d Parents organisations

5. National human rights institutions

6. Parliaments

7. Local and regional authorities

8. International institutions

9. Medias

10. Others