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Equal Rights, Equal Respect

The Commission has launched a new, free training and education resource, Equal Rights, Equal Respect, aimed at Key Stage 3 teachers of all subjects to help teach equality and human rights in schools.

The online toolkit includes three videos to use in the classroom exploring the consequences of discriminatory behaviour around race, disability and gender, 12 lesson plans and supporting materials, and interactive student activities. The resources also examine discrimination around age, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and sexual orientation.

The resources and multimedia will bring topics such as empathy, diversity, equality law and human rights into the classroom. Lesson plans support Citizenship and other subjects across the curriculum, and can be adapted to meet varying needs and abilities.

Evidence gathered by the Commission for its Human Rights Inquiry suggests that schools teaching equality and human rights topics in schools reported significant reductions in bullying and more positive and tolerant attitudes toward peers.

Visitors to the Equal Rights, Equal Respect webpage are further invited to register to take part in a free, live online training session for teachers, presented by experts in human rights, equality and citizenship teaching. The webinar takes place on Wednesday 2 November 2011 between 16:30-17.30. Register at: www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalrightsequalrespect.

For more information on the teaching resources contact: education@equalityhumanrights.com.

For more press information, please contact the Commission’s media office on 020 3117 0255, out of hours 07767 272 818.

For general enquiries please contact the Commission’s national helpline: England 0845 604 6610, Scotland 0845 604 5510 or Wales 0845 604 8810.

Notes to editors

Kids Connections
Kids Connections is a marketing agency with over 15 years experience in developing youth and education-linked programmes. Understanding the youth and education market is a critical part of their business and they continually consult teachers, parents and young people to keep abreast of current trends, issues and opportunities.
www.kidsconnections.co.uk  

Further information on the organisations involved in producing the three videos:

Company of Angels
Company of Angels is at the forefront of new and experimental theatre for young audiences. For ten years, the company has toured groundbreaking theatre to young people nationally and internationally. The company actively nurtures and supports emerging artists through the Young Angels programmes and the Angels Associates scheme. At the heart of the company’s ethos is an emphasis on the benefits of collaboration between disciplines creating functional similarities to a think-tank. The company works in the broad spectrum of ‘the arts’ producing theatre, media, and experimental work for young audiences. Company of Angels is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
www.companyofangels.co.uk  

Islington Community Theatre
Islington Community Theatre (ICT) was established by Ned Glasier in October 2008 as a parent charity to Islington Youth Theatre which was run as an after school club. Since then the company has become one of the UK’s most exciting grassroots theatre companies, a livewire ensemble of professional theatre-makers and young people from one of the UK’s most disadvantaged boroughs. ICT commissions new plays for young people, devises theatre from scratch, they create intergenerational dance pieces, interactive theatre games and obscure theatre happenings and site-specific installations.
www.islingtoncommunitytheatre.com  

Urban Collective™ is an internationally acclaimed social enterprise, founded and developed by UK artist management company Freeport Entertainment, that acts as a catalyst between at-risk youth and the mainstream music industry.
www.urbancollectiveproject.org

The Commission is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the responsibilities of Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission. It is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. It aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights. The Commission enforces equality legislation on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and encourages compliance with the Human Rights Act. It also gives advice and guidance to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals.