The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged teachers and school counsellors to strengthen efforts to identify and address bullying, discrimination, abuse and other rights violations against pupils, warning that schools must provide safe environments where children can learn and express themselves without fear.

The Director of Legal Services and Enforcement of the Commission, Mrs. Rabi Anwar, gave the charge in Abuja while representing the Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu, at a human rights capacity-building workshop for Civic Education and Guidance and Counselling teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Anwar said teachers occupy a strategic position in shaping young people’s understanding of their rights and responsibilities, urging them to promote dignity, equality, tolerance and respect for diversity in classrooms.

She said the training was designed to strengthen teachers’ understanding of human rights principles and equip them to integrate the principles into teaching, counselling, classroom management and other school activities.

The NHRC director urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to create inclusive and peaceful learning environments, stressing that effective human rights education requires cooperation among teachers, school administrators, parents, government institutions and civil society organisations.

A human rights education expert, Mr. Saka Azimazi, who trained participants, examined the historical development of human rights and the principles of justice, dignity and respect for human life.

His session traced major milestones in the evolution of human rights, from ancient legal codes and the Magna Carta to Enlightenment philosophy, the American and French declarations, and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also discussed the relationship between human rights, religion, morality and culture, including debates over universalism and relativism.

Another human rights education expert, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwakanma, urged Civic Education teachers to encourage pupils to express their views freely, participate in school activities and understand their rights and responsibilities.

She advocated student councils and peer education initiatives as ways of promoting participation and helping pupils understand democratic values, while urging teachers to ensure that classrooms remain free from fear and discrimination.

A guidance counsellor, Mrs. Henrietta Okechukwu, emphasised the role of counsellors in preventing and identifying rights violations and ensuring appropriate responses and referrals in cases involving bullying, discrimination, violence, abuse, online harm and mental-health distress.

She urged counsellors to apply child-protection and education principles when addressing school-related challenges and ensure that pupils’ rights are respected and protected.