RP-Department of Educational Foundations

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Browsing RP-Department of Educational Foundations by Author "Karugu, A. M."

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    Rights of Children in the Kenyan Primary School Curriculum
    (Contemporary Research Center (CRC), 2013) Karugu, A. M.
    Kenyans today are very conscious and assertive of their rights. In 2010, they ensured that basic human rights are enshrined in the new constitution that they passed. Despite all this it is relevant to question how knowledge about human rights is transmitted and acquired by young Kenyans. We carried out a study in an attempt to provide an answer to this question. Using content analysis method we examined the rights of children as discussed in various Social Studies text books currently used in primary schools. The objective was to identify rights of the child, interrogate them, compare and contrast how various authors/publishers have presented them. In addition, the same method was used to identify and document incidents of violation of children rights as reported in the Daily Nation. The major finding of this study is that the Social Studies curriculum in primary schools as presented in the books that we examined adequately exposes young Kenyans to their rights and related issues. Those who successfully complete primary school course can be taken to be knowledgeable and aware of their rights. Examining the reported incidents in the Daily Nation however showed that there is still a societal problem in protecting children from abuse. Children are vulnerable and defenseless .Generally they are not capable of asserting their rights. This is evident, especially, in situations where violators of children rights are people close to them such as parents, guardians and teachers.