The Interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights: How are moral education and human rights related?

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Purpose: ‘Moral Education’ is a major field in the study of education, characterized as a systematic process that provides a structure of meaningful activities for engaging young individuals to help them acquire a set of beliefs that guide their intentions and attitudes towards others and their environment / society in terms of outlook and morality. It focuses on the prevalent norms, values, and virtues which prompt individuals to reflect and act according to their axiological responsibilities. ‘Human Rights’ are those inherent moral claims of all human beings without which they cannot live as human beings. After the formation of the UN in 1945 and the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1948, they revolved around the ideas of Freedom, Equality, Justice, Human Dignity, Inalienability, Indivisibility, and Universality. Now they hold prime consideration in Education as well. This study explores the interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights in Pakistan to facilitate scholars, activists, and educationists to identify the areas of their common interests and collaborate more meaningfully. Method: A qualitative study employing a systematic review, survey, and some structured interviews was undertaken in order to find some common parameters from which it may be tentatively concluded that Moral Education and Human Rights are interdependent. Results: The results largely indicate that the study will provide a strong foundation to make meaningful changes in the domain of Moral Values Education, with particular emphasis on the context of Human Rights and training educators to be the most important “vehicle” for impact. Conclusion: The study establishes the significance of Moral Education and its efficacy in institutions highlighting the interdependence of Moral Values Education and Human Rights. It also presents some state-of-the-art implementation measures to secure lifelong learning possibilities using integrative approaches to foster knowledge and competencies related to ethics and values education.