Education, social justice and human rights: challenges of school education

Abstract

Education has been challenged to promote social justice and citizenship, which requires not only the mastery of concepts or pedagogical techniques, but a repertoire of knowledges that allow us to develop a fair education and a relationship practice of mutual recognition. The guiding question of this article is to make explicit the need for human rights education as an essential requirement for social justice. It is a matter of understanding, especially, the reality of injustice and violation of fundamental rights promoted by society and by the school itself. Based on Rawls, Nussbaum, Cortina, and on some documents related to human rights and human rights education, the article proposes the development of practices for the understanding and achievement of human rights as a condition for obtaining justice and peace.