Have The European Union Guidelines been a Driving Force in the Inclusion of Children’s Rights into the German “Sachunterricht” Course Curriculum?

Abstract

It is observed that efforts are made to benefit from the perspective of the Universal Convention on the Rights of the Child and to undertake the protection and promotion of children’s rights more effectively in countries that are members of the European Union/membership process with the European Union Agreement (Lisbon Treaty) which came into force in 2009. In this direction, the European Union Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Children’s Rights were published to guide the EU member countries and their countries in the process of membership in their work on children’s rights. So, the research purposed primarily to examine the status of children’s rights in the official Sachunterricht course curriculum used in the German education system in line with the EU Guidelines. In the research, a holistic multiple-state pattern was adopted from the qualitative research approach patterns. In the process of obtaining research data, the document review method was used. The official Sachunterricht course curriculum in sixteen states in the Federal Republic of Germany was examined in this scope. As a consequence of the research, it was concluded that the content included in the curriculum in most states is in line with the EU Guidelines. However, we saw just a few curricula have that there are statements of attainment and study examples regarding children’s right to protection and participation. At this point, studies can be put forward to make all education curricula more compatible with EU Guiding Principles. These studies should ensure that the teaching curricula that countries will use address children’s rights and related learning outcomes and teaching activities aimed at recognizing children’s rights, preventing discrimination against them, building a culture of universal peace, and preparing children for responsible lives in a free society.