August 5 - “In the illustrations of physical education textbooks, only male students appear practicing Taekwondo while female students are described performing ballet,” says a student participating in the NHRCK Textbook Monitoring Group. “A textbook advises to find reasons for bullying in victims themselves. I think this could make victim students feel guilty,” points out another middle school student.
On August 23, the NRHCK released findings on anti-human rights elements in school textbooks by its first textbook monitoring group. This monitoring group, which consisted of 50 students, found a total of 60 anti-human rights elements in textbooks and presented them during the NHRCK’s Summer Human Rights Camp for the Textbook Monitoring Group which took place on August 6-7. Additionally, they discussed and selected good and bad examples from a human rights perspective and proposed solutions for the worst example. At a human rights model committee, they discussed the issue of forced drop-outs of pregnant students and school regulations on hair, cosmetics or accessories.
As the term of the first monitoring group is scheduled to end this December, the NHRCK is planning to launch its second Textbook Monitoring Group in February, 2010.
