Title: Baseline Study on Human Rights Education in Armenia
Country: Armenia
Authors: Lucig H. Danielian and Lilit Umroyan
CategoryResearch/Evaluation Studies
Date of Publication: 2005
Keywords: citizenship, human rights, law, research methods
Resource Language(s): Armenian
Pages: 27
Level of Education: Middle and High School
Publisher: United Nations Development Program Armenia
Access: The paper can be downloaded from the United Nations Development Program website.
Abstract: This study assesses human rights education in Armenia within the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Education Decade. It focused on existing programs for human rights education and curricula at all levels of formal education. The assessment also focused on the overall organizational and financial support for human rights education in Armenia, the availability to the Armenian public of human rights publications, and analyses of national plans and legal norms pertaining to human rights education in Armenia. In-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, focus-group discussions were conducted with school educators, and expert analyses were performed of all human rights curricula and legislation. Preschool education in Armenia does not include human rights education components, although normative documents for the sector are currently under development by the Ministry of Education and Science. Human rights education for students with special needs does not exist. Human rights education in the schools is provided in separate subjects on human rights and civic education in grades eight and nine. Textbooks in these two subjects do not cover key components, such as crimes against humanity, and they need updating. Teachers need training and access to updated materials. Thirty-seven institutions of higher learning include a human rights course in one or more faculties. Vocational schools do not have a human rights subject requirement. Human rights education for key professional groups, such as law enforcement personnel, legal professionals, and personnel in justice administration has been provided only in short, ad hoc meetings. The major human rights instruments have been translated and published in Armenian, but access to these materials is limited. There is no national human rights education plan in Armenia. Human rights education is almost completely funded by donor agencies outside Armenia.