| Summary: | This paper investigates access for young people to knowledge about gender
equality rights through the schools. A review of school curricula, academic research,
government reports, public legal education publications, law-related symposia, gender
equity conference papers, and youth projects did not produce a clear picture of how
young people are being educated about gender equality rights. An additional
investigation into the informal curriculum and the school culture would be required if
we are to find out if knowledge about gender equality rights reaches young people
through the schools.
A modified version of a Delphi study was used to gather some ideas about the
purpose, goals and objectives of gender equality rights education in the schools. Twenty
socially representative educators, legal professionals and feminists participated in the
study. Participants were selected for their knowledge of gender equality rights. In all
cases, their job, or life experience and education, or position on a relevant task force or
committee provided them with substantive knowledge of gender equality rights.
One of the main findings of the Delphi study is that while there is no consensus
amongst the participants about the details of comprehensive gender equality rights
education, there is agreement that it cannot be left to chance occurence. More harm
than good may result from a laissez-faire approach to gender equality rights education
because such an approach does not allow for a full discussion of how social, political,
and economic systems in society discriminate against women. Without such a context,
we cannot fully understand gender equality rights, or the changes to society that have
come about because of the gender equality rights movement. Conversely, a structured
approach through the formal and informal curriculum, and the school culture, would
allow for views about gender equality to be raised in an informed way. Many of the
ideas of the participants parallel the substantive goals and objectives of law-related
education. There is one major exception which is discussed at length. It concerns the
openly ideological nature of gender equality rights education.
Long range plans to institutionalize substantive gender equality rights education
in the schools is needed. One way to bring this about is to increase academic research
into legal literacy and gender equality. But the greatest urgency is in the short term. We
need a co-ordinated effort between the schools, Ministries of Education and the Attorney
General, the public legal education network and gender equality rights advocates to
ensure that accurate information about gender equality rights is accessible to all young
people in a useful way.
The first challenge in educating about gender equality rights in the schools is to
make a start so that young people do not leave school without some knowledge of
important changes for women that are going on in society. The transitional approach
that I recommend to gender equality rights education would implement strategies that
allow us time to get a clearer picture of what gender equality rights education exists in
schools now; identify immediate objectives that we can attain quickly and that would
lay the foundation for more comprehensive goals; help young people recognize the
impact of gender inequality in their own lives; and let them know that educated
people care about social and legal equality for women. === Education, Faculty of === Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of === Graduate
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