Pixel International Conferences

The present paper shows the results of an exploratory study about the relationship between human rights themes and Shakespeare education in schools. This work examines whether, in the area of humanities, teachers (of English) effectively use their classes to discuss some elements of the citizenship education related to human rights such: freedom, equality and justice. The study analyse the educational potential of literature and drama using  Shakespeare as a case study .

The methodology used was interviews with English teachers from a range of secondary schools in UK, under a qualitative approach.

The study found that teachers of English do not just talk about human rights when they teach Shakespeare, but also consider an important, fundamental topic for discussion. However, the study shows that despite that most of the teachers interviewed regard as imperative  the relationship between human rights and Shakespeare, they never mention the words "human rights" within their classes and had never thought “consciously” about it before.

The study proves that the strategic partnership between citizenship education and literature could be translated into a real and positive experience for students. Furthermore it demonstrates that some Shakespeare’s plays can be a great way to discuss and analyse issues relating to human rights in the context of secondary school.