METHODS OF TEACHING HUMAN RIGHTS: SOME EXAMPLES FROM STREET LAW LEGAL LITERACY PROGRAMMES

Psychological studies have shown that the lecture method is one of the least effective means of communication and should be complemented by interactive teaching methods if students are to remember and understand what they are being taught. There are a wide variety of teaching methods available to human rights educators apart from the usual lecture method. The most successful teaching techniques, however, involve interactive exercises, especially those that rely on experiential learning by the participants. The writer has found that best way to teach human rights is to use the Street Law technique which draws on the experiences of the participants and relates their experiences to the national, regional and international human rights instruments available to protect them. This will not only assist them to remember the importance of the human rights taught, but will also enable them to understand their practical application.