This symposium reports on the early findings from an international research project focusing on the education of children and young people as holders of human rights. The collaboration sets out from the notion that in a research field of such international character as children’s human rights, there is a need to look beyond one nation, and beyond Europe. In the initial phase of the research partnership a comparative analysis of national curricula in three nations was carried out. The specific aim of the curriculum analysis was to investigate and clarify ways in which education for human rights is refracted within the national curricula, and to explore ways in which this refraction supports (or limits) children’s and young people’s growth as holders of human rights.

The analysis was performed in two steps. In the first step the national curricula of the participating nations (Australia, England and Sweden) for pre-school, primary and secondary schools were analysed by a national researcher within each of these countries. In each of the analyses emphasis was placed on determining how education in and about human rights had been refracted into the various curricula. In the second step, the three national analyses were brought together in a comparative analysis undertaken by all three researchers, focusing on the variations in both the contents of the three nations’ curricula and on how the respective national refractions support the growth of children and young people as rights subjects.

 A central concept and starting point for this research is accordingly refraction (Goodson & Lindblad, 2011). Just as a pencil in a glass of water changes size, shape and direction when it is refracted through the new substance (water instead of air), a refraction will occur when children’s human rights move from a general societal arena to an educational context. Thus, a basic assumption is that the national curriculum documents will, through the emphasis made on particular human rights and the suggested ways of educating children in and about rights, show the particular refraction of education for human rights in formal education settings in the respective nations.

 The theoretical base for the work combines rights theorising, sociological theorising and educational philosophy and theorising. The study assumes a view of rights in which children’s rights are regarded as included in human rights (Bobbio, 1996). Childhood sociology has been a catalyst for changing views of children and childhood, and it provides an important theoretical gaze in the study (James, Jenks & Prout, 1998). The educational philosophy and theorising of John Dewey, particularly his view of education as a process of growth is central to the research (Dewey, 1916; see also for example Quennerstedt & Quennerstedt 2014). 

Document/text analysis was applied as the research method. In each of the respective nations, relevant curriculum material was collected and the material was read and analysed. The analysis was guided by the following questions:

- How are human rights for children and young people presented as relevant for education and   educational settings?

- What elements of rights are pronounced?

- What expectations are placed on pre-schools and schools in relation to rights?

- What methods of teaching human rights are proposed/ recommended?

- How is the child/young person constructed as rights holder?

The symposium will start with short presentations of the three national refractions as represented in the curriculum documents. Thereafter the three researchers will jointly present the comparative analysis. Finally, the symposium discussant will highlight some key issues for further discussion, in which the audience is invited to participate.