International Human Rights, Society, and the Schools

According to Margaret Stimmann Branson and Judith Torney-Purta, it is vital that students learn about human rights and rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. While some believe that students are not learning about rights in the American context in sufficient depth, I feel that human rights should be taught to students depending on maturity level. For academic purposes, the history surrounding the human rights of our country should be taught at a certain age or grade level, but if students are not prepared to handle these ideals and to put them into proper perspective, they can misinterpret them. For example, they may understand free speech as the ability to say whatever they want whenever they want which could lead to repercussions. Also, depending on the environment in which they live, the right to bear arms could prove fatal to others in their community if misunderstood. Students should understand the concepts behind human rights and the United States Constitution, but they should be regulated and introduced to the students more in depth as soon as they are fully ready to interpret them.