Teachers in Moldova have vague knowledge of human rights. A report produced by “Promo-LEX“ Association shows in schools there is no profound knowledge of the phenomenon of human rights and the level of intolerance in these institutions is as high as in society, IPN reports.
International expert Ovidiu Voicu, author of the report, said human rights education in pre-university education institutions form citizens for democracy. Human rights education enables the people to act and to claim rights and also makes them respect other people’s rights as they realize the importance of such a thing. As regards the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the level of intolerance among the citizens is very high, being close to a maximum. The young people who are now at school perpetuate the previous generations’ intolerance. But the role of human rights education is to break this vicious circle. A fund for democracy is needed to allow financing long-term education projects. Human rights education should be anchored in strategic documents. The financing of human rights education through programs of grants and mini-grants is a solution.
Victor Munteanu, director of the Justice and Human Rights Department of Soros Foundation Moldova, said currently human rights education in universities and schools does not reflect the social conflicts, economic political realities and human experiences and tragedies in the Republic of Moldova. “If we have such a science detached from the daily realties, we obtain a theoretical or dogmatic science that does not help protect the human rights. What is obtained instead is the young people’s disinterest in becoming involved in human rights activities,” stated the expert. According to Victor Munteanu, the human rights have no sense when the people do not report violations of their rights and when they do not know how to defend these rights. There is a kind of social apathy among the young people as to the defense of their own rights.
Alexandru Postica, director of the Human Rights Program of “Promo-LEX” Association, said the people realize the importance of rights only a particular right of their is violated. The realities in Moldova show that when the rights of other people are infringed, the largest part of the population does not react. The people should know that the human rights are a form of human dignity. Human dignity should be cultivated from an early age, not only at university.
Angela Kutasevich, secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, said the observance of human rights in schools is a priority for the Ministry. Starting with this year, an optional human rights education course is taught in schools from the first grade to the ninth grade. In 2019, there will be printed two textbook for the education for society course for the fifth and sixth grades and for the tenth and eleventh grades. The human rights should be reflected in all the school subjects so that the students realize that they have to respect them and to help each other.
