Education for Human Rights and Citizenship in a Multicultural Society: Making a Difference

Abstract

British society is infused with institutional racism, according to the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report2. The report's findings and recommendations, which place considerable emphasis on the role which education can play in preventing and addressing racism, were acknowledged and largely accepted by the British Government Schools face a number of challenges if they are to address institutional racism and meet the needs of all children as citizens in a multicultural society. This paper draws on a human rights framework to consider the potential of citizenship education for enabling race equality internationally. It reflects on the importance of leadership in achieving human rights and racial justice in and through education. In particular, it considers the role of head teachers and other key education professionals in enabling greater race equality and proposes a way forward in which schools can respond positively to external inspection and develop tools for self-evaluation.