Education ministry, NHRC ink Human Rights Education pact

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Monday signed a memorandum of co-operation on the implementation of the Arab Plan for Human Rights Education adopted by the Arab League summit.

The MoU was signed by HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi and HE the Chairman of the NHRC Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri.During the signing ceremony, educational materials on human rights for the preparatory, primary and secondary stages were presented in order to be integrated into the curriculum for the three stages.The signing of the memorandum reflects Qatar's keenness to meet its obligations at all local, regional and international levels and the importance of human rights education and its role in establishing, disseminating and promoting them.Speaking at the signing ceremony, HE al-Hammadi praised the active partnership with NHRC.He stressed that human rights are an essential part of the curriculum in Qatar, adding that the signing of the memorandum promotes the concepts and meanings of human rights among students and establishes them in the educational environment in an innovative and systematic way, which contributes to prepare them for the future on the values of tolerance, justice, equality and respect for others.HE al-Marri welcomed the signing of the co-operation agreement and the launch of educational materials, hoping that they will find sufficient attention from the teaching staff and that teachers will receive assistance, advice and training to communicate human rights concepts to students in innovative and realistic ways.He stressed the readiness of the NHRC to train teaching staff to use the materials and harness all its potential to achieve the objective of the materials, to prepare generations that respect the principles of human rights and understand their importance to a society that seeks progress and greater justice and sustainable development.As per the memorandum, the two parties will co-operate to strengthen their relations in the field of disseminating and educating human rights culture, integrating them in the curriculum, and encouraging schools to apply and integrate human rights concepts and principles into educational curricula and school activities.In accordance with the provisions of the memorandum, the NHRC, in coordination with the Ministry, are working on a plan to disseminate a culture of human rights in educational institutions.Meanwhile, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs Fawzia Abdulaziz al-Khater expressed her happiness at signing a memorandum of co-operation with the NHRC to represent a qualitative addition to the educational community.She said that the general framework of the educational curriculum included the values of co-operation, participation, communication, problem-solving, respect for diversity, tolerance, active and responsible citizenship, commitment to sustainable development, and value and family education. All of these are values, goals and principles that promote a culture of human rights in the educational and community levels, she added.For her part, NHRC Secretary General Mariam bint Abdullah al-Attiyah said that educational manuals are an important part in the context of the implementation of the World Programme for Education, by launching human rights guides in schools for primary, preparatory and secondary levels.Al-Attiyah said that the NHRC has presented manuals to the Ministry of Education since 2010 for use in the curriculum, and also organised several training courses and workshops to train teachers to use the guides. Today, the guides are officially adopted to become an integral part of the school curriculum, she said.