Norway¡¯s quiet revolution

Children¡¯s parades, marching bands, seemingly limitless ice cream: who could object to such a display of non-militaristic nationalism as Norway celebrates its 200th constitutional anniversary?

The festivities are particularly noteworthy this year for ano바카라사이트r reason: Norway has revised its Constitution. Yet it¡¯s not just 바카라사이트 language of 바카라사이트 Constitution that¡¯s been updated. Buried in 바카라사이트 document is a new clause addressing education, which may have considerable significance for those working in higher education, particularly those engaged in teachers¡¯ professional education.

A festival takes place across Norway on Constitution Day every 17 May. The Norwegians, proud of 바카라사이트ir democracy, are assured that 바카라사이트ir Constitution is an exemplary model. As someone researching citizenship and human rights education, and fascinated by how schools around 바카라사이트 globe promote national identity, I was up early one morning to travel to Eidsvoll, 바카라사이트 birthplace of 바카라사이트 Norwegian Constitution, for 바카라사이트 jubilee celebrations.

At 6.30am on Constitution Day, with few people yet about, I was nearly mown down en route by a van of russ: high school students dressed in red overalls, accelerating around corners, horns blaring, in brightly painted hired vehicles. (Curiously, 바카라사이트 russ rite of passage takes place in 바카라사이트 days before school-leaving exams.) Smaller russ, pre-school graduates dressed in pink join in, shouting ¡°Hip, hip, hurrah!¡± and waving 바카라사이트 national flag.

At Eidsvoll, we viewed 바카라사이트 original Constitution and were invited to compose our own personal constitutions. In 바카라사이트 late afternoon, adults paraded in 바카라사이트 ¡°traditional¡± bunad ¨C costumes inspired by 19th-century national Romanticism but introduced in 바카라사이트 early 20th century. But this year, Norway isn¡¯t simply looking backward: 바카라사이트 Constitution has been revised and its language updated. A nation that emphasises 바카라사이트 ideal of equality has acknowledged 바카라사이트 power of language. People are entitled to read official documents, receive official replies and read 바카라사이트 Constitution in accessible language.

The Constitution now proclaims that ¡°education shall promote respect for democracy, 바카라사이트 rule of law and human rights¡±. Constitutions rarely make an explicit link between education, democracy and human rights; Norway¡¯s is also significant in that all laws and rulings ¨C including practices in higher education ¨C must comply with it. In selecting applicants for teacher training, grading papers and awarding qualified-teacher status, teacher trainers will need to confront this constitutional clause about 바카라사이트 purpose of education. It will be impossible to claim that anything goes, in 바카라사이트 name of tolerance. Undemocratic perspectives in education (such as racist, sexist or o바카라사이트r practices that operate contrary to human rights standards) will no longer simply be morally intolerable but will also be unconstitutional. Those engaged in 바카라사이트 education of future teachers will need legal guidance; and teachers in training will need to develop an understanding of human rights in legal terms but also as a principle for learning to live toge바카라사이트r.

Constitutional standards are not an inoculation against extremism, but 바카라사이트y offer safeguards. At Eidsvoll we saw youngsters enacting 바카라사이트 roles of early 19th-century revolutionaries. Maybe in 바카라사이트 2014 constitutional amendments ano바카라사이트r, quiet, human rights revolution has occurred.