About+the+Declaration+of+Education+Rights


 * Toward a Declaration of Education Rights**

Ever since December 10, 1948 when it was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has stood as an international moral beacon of human dignity and freedom. The Universal Declaration was never meant to be the final word on human rights, nor was it intended to impose a single model of right conduct on all nations. The Universal Declaration was written to be a living document, reinterpreted and reinvented by each succeeding generation, a common standard that can be brought to life in different settings in a variety of legitimate ways.

Education today is in dire need of just such a common ethical standard. Not a legally binding prescription, but a moral compass by which we can guide our practice, develop our programs and policies, and evaluate our results. In our ongoing efforts to provide the education our children deserve and our world so desperately needs, we need a mutual commitment to values that will inspire us and keep us from drifting off course. In education, as in all areas of life, if we do not decide where we are going, someone will be happy to decide for us.

It is in this spirit that the following suggestion for a **//Declaration of Education Rights (DER)//** is being proposed. These 13 articles were inspired from a variety of sources, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Alternative Education Resource Organization ([|www.educationrevolution.org]), the Institute for Democratic Education in America ([|www.democraticeducation.org]), and the Institute for Educational Inquiry’s //Agenda for Education in a Democracy// ([|www.ieiseattle.org]). Each article is followed by comments which note the source and/or clarify the article’s intent or implications.



In order to be effective, a **//Declaration of Education Rights//** must balance several competing requirements. A **//DER//** must:

1) Establish the conditions necessary to promote and preserve basic human and civil rights.  2) Address the values and requirements of **democracy**. For our purposes, we are using a broad definition of //democracy// as a value system – a way of living and working together based on freedom, justice, equality, and mutual respect. [ “//Democracy first and foremost, is a shared way of life. It begins with who we are as individuals and the relationships we have with those around us, and it radiates outward from that center to encompass all of humanity… it is, in essence, about human relationships.” (Goodlad, et al, Education for Everyone, p. 82)//] 3) Ensure the conditions necessary for the continuous growth, self-development, and creative participation of the learner. 4) Differentiate between **education** -- a community responsibility -- and **schooling --** one component of this larger context.

The time has come for us to take a stand on what we believe to be the purpose and proper nature of education in our democracy. This **//Declaration of Education Rights//** is a first attempt to do just that – an articulation of values and principles intended to serve as a moral and functional compass for education in America.

Thomas Jefferson sparked a political revolution when he wrote that “//we hold these truths to be self-evident//”. But the moral and philosophical revolution that produced these truths had been steadily growing in our hearts and minds for hundreds of years. Jefferson merely affirmed them and recognized their revolutionary implications.

Like its inspiration, the //Universal Declaration of Human Rights//, the **//Declaration of Education Rights//** contains some ideas that are intuitive and others that are more daring, but all of them reflect a revolution in thinking that is already under way. The implications are profound and far reaching.

In order to make this document as sound and powerful as it needs to be, we are asking for your feedback. Input will be used to refine this document for future use in public forums across the nation. Imagine the long-term impact of its official adoption, not only by schools, school districts, and educational organizations, but by state and federal departments of education as well.

Without a clear vision, it is inevitable that education will continue to drift in the winds of various political, economic, and special interest agendas. And as we drift, our children, our democracy, and our planet will suffer. Please help us chart the course for a redefinition of education that celebrates individuality while simultaneously promoting democracy – that reinforces creativity, nurtures greatness, and helps to build a just and sustainable world.

* Contact Jim Strickland at livedemocracy@hotmail.com