There is unfortunately a misconception* that compulsory education as called for in the universal declaration of human rights and subsequent treaties is the same as compulsory schooling as established by the Prussian reforms.
From analyzing the minutes of the drafting of the UDHR, it is clear that compulsory was not meant to be coercion on the child (which is what compulsory schooling is) but an obligation on the state to provide education for all without discrimination.
This has led to situations like Sweden where policy making adults make decisions based on what they think is best without the participation of children - violating the child’s Right to be Heard (which is anyway routinely violated in mainstream education models, both public and private)
And unfortunately education is moving more and more away from human rights and child rights 🤯
* at best, I’m suspecting it was more a result of willful manipulation
yes... this has been something that has irked me for a very long time, that Sweden has chosen to interpret the rights of the child as meaning the child is compelled to go to school, rather than the country is compelled to provide adequate education for all children.
It has lead to a great deal of problems and continuously blaming children and their parents when they are unable to attend school because school has not been designed for all children.
I agree that children's rights are being violated. And as Sweden has made UN rights of a child law - this means the law is also been broken.
I think all of this goes hand in hand with a less democratic approach in society - being replaced with a more authoritarian and divisive them and us approach to life that seems to be making the world an increasingly less safe to be.
Unfortunately it isn’t only Sweden - this “misconception” (and other violations of child rights in education) is not spoken about enough, which means the status quo doesn’t get challenged
There is unfortunately a misconception* that compulsory education as called for in the universal declaration of human rights and subsequent treaties is the same as compulsory schooling as established by the Prussian reforms.
From analyzing the minutes of the drafting of the UDHR, it is clear that compulsory was not meant to be coercion on the child (which is what compulsory schooling is) but an obligation on the state to provide education for all without discrimination.
This has led to situations like Sweden where policy making adults make decisions based on what they think is best without the participation of children - violating the child’s Right to be Heard (which is anyway routinely violated in mainstream education models, both public and private)
And unfortunately education is moving more and more away from human rights and child rights 🤯
* at best, I’m suspecting it was more a result of willful manipulation
yes... this has been something that has irked me for a very long time, that Sweden has chosen to interpret the rights of the child as meaning the child is compelled to go to school, rather than the country is compelled to provide adequate education for all children.
It has lead to a great deal of problems and continuously blaming children and their parents when they are unable to attend school because school has not been designed for all children.
I agree that children's rights are being violated. And as Sweden has made UN rights of a child law - this means the law is also been broken.
I think all of this goes hand in hand with a less democratic approach in society - being replaced with a more authoritarian and divisive them and us approach to life that seems to be making the world an increasingly less safe to be.
Unfortunately it isn’t only Sweden - this “misconception” (and other violations of child rights in education) is not spoken about enough, which means the status quo doesn’t get challenged
Would you like to be part of changing that?
Short invite: https://youtu.be/Z2Mphga8tn4
Longer explanation: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/flourishingeducation/episodes/Episode-247---Rights-Centric-Education-with-Jeanna-Clements-and-Sifaan-Zavahir-e2ofb92
thanks for sharing...
I think there is a massive need to refind the "why" of education
Yes; am working on an essay on that at the moment. Changing the how without addressing the why doesn’t get very far