Today is Malala’s 16th birthday and the UN has declared 12 July "Malala Day".
In her own words: "They thought that the bullet would silence us - but they failed… Malala Day is not my day - today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.”
There is a lot we can learn from this incredible young woman, particularly the fundamental importance of human rights and how they must be defended. It therefore seems particularly apt that this week we found out that human rights education is to remain on the National Curriculum.
The Education Secretary, Michael Gove had been planning to eradicate all mention of human rights from teaching in our schools. We found out this week that arguments by Liberty that children must be able to understand and discuss such an important concept have prevailed.
The idea of human rights is a vital part of British and world history that continues to shape our lives. If we want our youngsters to leave school as responsible citizens, it is essential that we teach them about our human rights framework and the principles which underpin it – human dignity, freedom and non-discrimination.
This is a fantastic victory for our Common Values campaign. Thank you for your support.
- For more information about Common Values, Liberty’s campaign to increase respect and understanding for the Human Rights Act and human rights values, visit www.commonvalues.org.uk
