The National Commission assigned to Follow-up the BICI Recommendations

عربي

Progress & Actions Taken

1725 (a) - To develop educational programs at the primary, secondary, high school and university levels to promote religious, political and other forms of tolerance, as well as to promote human rights and the rule of law.

Progress & Actions

Government Response

The Ministry of Education, since the beginning of the month of November 2011, coordinated its efforts with many national, regional and international organisations and commission to update its curricula and to launch new training courses for the teachers and the students. To achieve that, the ministry signed a memorandum of understanding on January 17, 2012 with the UNESCO's International Commission on Education to allow the Ministry of Education receive assistance and consultation needed for reforming the studying curricula by the UNESCO.

The organisation also started conducting programmes for public, private and religious schools in addition to universities.

A delegation from the organisation will visit Bahrain on March, 8.

The Ministry of Education also held many workshops on the rights of children during December 2011 and January 2012 including:

Workshop entitled: "Games package for human rights," which is run by the Arab Network for Citizenship and Human Right, during 26-29, December, 2011.

At the beginning of February 2012, the Ministry of Education was looking for cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide an intensive training programme for teachers on the methods of teaching human rights.

The Ministry of Education is undertaking a number of training programmes for the months of February and March, 2012, including children programmes which include:

Workshop entitled "Games package for Human Rights" for 200 Girl Scouts during January 25-29, 2012.
Four training workshops on "Difference" in February 2012.
Two workshops on "Dealing with the other" and "The value of dialogue" in March 2012.

In addition to that, the University of Bahrain won the approval of the National Council for Curricula to provide compulsory classes in the field of human rights and the rule of law for all students. This program is being prepared in collaboration with the College of Law at the University.

Resolutions of the National Commission

Approval of the following items:
1. To ensure the development of education programmes at the elementary, secondary and university level educational programmes aimed at promoting religious, political and other forms of tolerance, as well as to strengthen human rights and the rule of law.
2. Legislation of regulations aimed at safeguarding the sanctity of educational and academic institutions as required by international laws.
3. Reconsideration of citizenship and social education curricula at all educational levels, and the assignment of panel of qualified Bahraini education experts, supported by Arab and international specialists, to develop and issue proper educational curricula founded on good and mature citizenship, and aimed at instilling the acceptance of others, abjuring the mentality of rejecting the sectarian, ethnic and cultural diversity which characterized Bahrain throughout its history, and to transform it into a launch pad to remold the beliefs of the youth and their tolerance of others. The panel should also be allowed to enlist the aid of international experts in this field.
4. Activating the parents committees at schools, and to organize periodic events and meetings for parents to serve as means to bring families closer together through the school’s environment by creating a common factor between families, holding them responsible for the follow up and protection of the students.
5. Developing rehabilitation programmes for the education sector based on international standards, capable of providing workers in this field, and teachers in particular, with professional ethics guided by the spirit of tolerance, acceptance of the other, and coexistence of the various segments of society.
6. Issue of a code of ethics to regulate professional standards for education and regulate their relationships with the components of society, thus promoting a civilized society spirit in the education sector.
7. Assignment of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to reformulate the Islamic education curricula for the three basic levels of education, such that the curricula include all factors that are common to all the citizens of Bahrain..
8. Calling for educational curricula in all religious institutes and schools to incorporate the values of pluralism and coexistence.

Government Response

The Commission was provided with action taken by the Ministry of Education to implemented this recommendation.

Resolutions of the National Commission

To write to the esteemed government to learn what action the government will take to implement the Commission’s proposals in respect of the above mentioned recommendation, and to propose preparation of a time table for this purpose.

Government Response

A copy was attached about the steps that the Government of Bahrain and its various bodies have taken to implement the recommendation which also respond to other recommendations and inquiries:

1- The national plan for social and economic reconciliation which is prepared by the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development.

2- The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Education and the International Commission on Education, a unit of UNESCO, which responds to the recommendation No. 1725, paragraph (a) as well.

3- Media reform plan prepared by the Commission of Public Information, which responds to the recommendation No. 1724, paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) as well.

The initiative of civil settlement undertaken by the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs and Endowments, which respond to the recommendation No. 1722 paragraphs (j) and (k) as well.

Relevant Legislation / Documents

MOU between MOE and UNESCO IBE, signed 17 January 2012

Most Recent Actions Taken