Mapping the Legal and Philosophical Aspects of Human Rights Education in Religious Studies Towards a Curriculum Restructuring
Dean Collin Langeveldt 
& Doniwen Pietersen
Issue: Vol.10 No. 11 November 2024 Issue Article 5 pp.56-64
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.202410115 | Published online 24th December, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This article explored the strategic integration of religious education within the framework of human rights literacy that is underpinned by philosophical values in South Africa during a period of significant educational reform. The study examined the integration of religious studies with human rights education, emphasising the importance of human rights literacy in understanding religious diversity and promoting interfaith respect. The analysis examined key pedagogical changes, policy adaptations, and curricular innovations in South Africa’s educational system, forming an integrative pedagogical model. This examination also highlighted diversity on several levels. Internal diversity or differences in how members of the same cultural group or marginalised groups map and understand human rights in religious education. Foregrounded in this work are the educational psychology and sociology theoretical frameworks that intersect to enhance human rights literacy and religious education. The findings showed that the aforementioned educational fields are not just an academic exercise but a social imperative for a more inclusive and respectful place in global education. This conceptual paper focused on the South African experience, offering global insights that may resonate with the South African locality. It is recommended that South Africa’s religious curriculum be inclusive, requiring deep understanding and engaging content, to balance secular and religious education and uphold human rights. The study recommends developing an inclusive curriculum, engaging pedagogical strategies, comprehensive teacher training, and active learning to promote a balanced understanding of religious diversity and human rights. This study impacts scholarship by providing a robust theoretical framework, influencing curriculum development and policy support, and providing global insights for educational reform.
Keywords: Mapping, Human Rights Literacy, Curriculum Restructure, South Africa, Philosophical Underpinnings, Religious Education
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Dean Collin Langeveldt, PhD. Lecturer at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa. His research interests include teaching and learning in practice, educational leadership, management, and education law. He employs theories such as Freirean critical pedagogy, feminist pedagogy, and techno-rationalism in his work. His research aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). He has addressed topics such as bullying, inclusive education, pre-service teacher education, and educational leadership and management. He has numerous academic publications in these areas.
Doniwen Pietersen, PhD. Associate Professor at the University of South Africa (UNISA),Gauteng, South Africa who teaches and conducts research in philosophy of education. His research interests are on Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy theory, hermeneutics, feminism, and social justice issues of education and / or in education. He has dealt with topics and subthemes from these sub-research areas. He has a number of academic publications in the aforementioned research areas.
Langeveldt, Dean Collin, and Doniwen Pietersen. “Mapping the Legal and Philosophical Aspects of Human Rights Education in Religious Studies Towards a Curriculum Restructuring ,“ E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 10 no.11 (2024): 56-64. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.202410115
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
