Teachers are to be appointed to help raise awareness of the recently proposed Bill of Rights in Northern Ireland, the North's Minister of Education announced yesterday. Mr Martin McGuinness was attending a conference to raise awareness of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Act.
"Children not only have a right to education; they have rights in education, which must be recognised and respected," he said.
The conference, hosted jointly by the Department of Education and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, was attended by local teachers and educationalists, along with community and youth group representatives.
Mr McGuinness outlined other planned initiatives including the development of a citizenship curriculum; improving the provision of special needs education, and a conference on racial equality in association with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
"My department is committed to promoting an education system which recognises and responds to society's diversity and the needs of its young people," he said.
"All those involved in the education service must work together to promote a human rights culture, thus ensuring equality of provision and access for all."
The announcement was welcomed by the Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, Prof Brice Dickson.