Strengthening the Rule of Law through Education: A Guide for Policymakers

 

The joint publication by UNODC and UNESCO Strengthening the Rule of Law through Education: A Guide for Policymakers explores the role that education institutions can play in promoting the rule of law and building new forms of engagement based on global citizenship, human rights and inclusion.

The guide is intended for education policymakers and other professionals working in the formal education sector, within and outside Ministries of Education, and who are seeking to promote the rule of law and a culture of lawfulness.

It may also be of interest to professionals working in non-formal education settings or other sectors - namely the justice, social and health sectors - in the area of crime and violence prevention, who are seeking to work more closely with the education sector.

In particular, the guide offers:

  • An explanation of key concepts, such as the rule of law and a culture of lawfulness, as well as outlining the role of education in upholding and promoting the rule of law;
  • Guidance on how the education sector is able to strengthen and promote the rule of law, for instance, by speaking to the real learning needs of children and youth, and by ensuring that places of learning "practice what they preach";
  • A map of the necessary support systems needed to strengthen the rule of law at the school and classroom levels and outside formal education settings, including curricular support, classroom pedagogies, teacher training and development and school-family-community partnerships.

To address the needs of this diverse mix of education stakeholders and professionals, the guide blends both theory and practice, and draws on examples from around the world.

 

Guide for Policymakers:

The guide for policymakers is one of the key resources of the UNODC/UNESCO partnership Global Citizenship Education for the Rule of Law: Doing the right thing.