Description
December 10th, 2023 is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a morally binding international framework. Article 26 of the declaration states that everyone has the right to education and that education should be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Legally binding documents that support the UDHR and the right to education include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (ICRC). As a signatory to the ICRC, which was incorporated into domestic policy in 2013, Iceland has a legal obligation to ensure children’s linguistic human rights in schools. Increasing language diversity is addressed in both policy and practice, informed by inclusive education principles underpinning the ideology of the Icelandic school system. A thematic analysis of the perspectives of four school principals and four directors of school support services, working in four different municipalities, suggests that stakeholders understand the relation between language, schooling and human rights in multiple ways. Application of Tomaševski’s 4As framework (availability, accessibility, acceptability, adaptability) reveals the need for increased state accountability to ensure children’s linguistic human rights, in terms of funding, specialised training, including human rights education, and monitoring. The study contributes to improved awareness to address language diversity as a legal human right in both policy and practice.| Period | 29 Sept 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Menntakvika 2023: Ráðstefna í menntavísindum |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 2023 |
| Location | Reykjavík, IcelandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | National |