human rights principles. Typically, education experts within the ministry of education, often in consultation with other stakeholders, develop and review curricula. National human rights institutions can play a central role in this process, for instance by ensuring that education officials are adequately trained in human rights content. Policy implementation Policies are effective only if they are successfully implemented. For this reason care must be taken to plan for, ensure and measure the implementation of rights-based education and human rights education policies. This should include respecting current trends in educational governance such as devolution, democratic governance and school autonomy. The plan of action referred to above sets out indicators for the successful implementation of educational policies. At the organizational level, this includes the development of a national implementation plan for human rights education, ensuring that a unit in the ministry of education is in place and is sufficiently resourced for effective coordination and that there are mechanisms for successful linkages and coherence with other national and sectoral education and human rights initiatives. The plan of action also recommends, at the implementation level, that resources should be adequate, that mechanisms for the participation of stakeholders should be in place, that the national strategy should be published, that a resource centre should be established, that appropriate research should be supported and encouraged, and that rights-based quality assurance systems that involve learners and educators directly in monitoring and evaluation-related programmes should be established. As with policy development, an NHRI should be consulted in the development of a national implementation plan and should play a role in its implementation. Learning environment Human rights education is not limited to cognitive learning: it includes the social and emotional development of all those involved in teaching and learning. For this reason, human rights teaching and learning must occur in a human rights-based learning environment, one in which the educational objectives, priorities and organization of the school are consistent with human rights values and principles. What would a rights-based school look like? It would have a charter of pupils’ and teachers’ rights and responsibilities, codes of conduct that prohibit violence, sexual abuse, harassment and corporal punishment; non-discrimination policies for all members of the school community; and mechanisms to mark human rights achievements, such as awards and festivals. School management would promote interaction between the school and the wider community, for instance by raising awareness among parents and families of the rights of the child, involving parents in human rights initiatives and school decision-making, and promoting extra-curricular projects and initiatives in human rights. Teachers in a rights-based school would have an explicit mandate to cover human rights education, themselves receive education and professional development in human rights content, and have methodologies and mechanisms at their disposal for sharing innovations and good practices. Pupils in a rights-based school would have the opportunity for self-expression and decision-making, consistent with their age and capacity, as well as the opportunity to organize activities and defend their own interests. National human rights institutions can support the promotion of a human rights learning environment in schools by working with school administrators and staff, and by supporting pupils to provide model “educational charters of rights” and “codes of conduct”. They can also effectively support extra-curricular projects and initiatives, such as human rights clubs or competitions/awards, and the education and professional development of teachers on human rights content. 62