E-course: Monitoring Children's Rights

This e-learning course is a basic introduction to measuring and monitoring the status of children, including basic health and welfare, education, civil rights and freedoms, and special protection measures. The course will address the full cycle of monitoring, including tool development; methodologies for carrying out monitoring (both organisationally as well as through the involvement of children); and the application of results for improving the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

Learners will explore different indicators and indexes already in use and the basics of choosing or constructing a social indicator, with attention to the human rights-based approach. Through a blending of theoretical and case study material, the course will illustrate procedures for the appraisal, selection, development and analysis of monitoring approaches, although highly technical aspects of mathematical manipulation of indicators and statistical regression will not be addressed.

The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working groups, webinars, assignments, and interaction among students and the instructor, and is offered over a 11-week period beginning on 22 August 2012. The course will integrate active and participatory learning approaches within activities and assignments, with an emphasis on reflective and collaborative learning. Participants will do the required reading, prepare interim and final project assignments, including case studies, and participate in group discussions.

The maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation. It is also possible to audit the course.

Course outline

Week 1. The Monitoring Concept and Developing a Strategy of Action
Week 2. Introduction to Children's Rights, and the Role of the International, Regional and Domestic Standards
Week 3. Basic Principles of Monitoring: Developing a Strategy of Action
Week 4. Indicator Construction and Analyses
Week 5. Community Approach to Monitoring and Children's Participation
Week 6. "Open week" 
Week 7. Monitoring and Indicators of Children's Survival and Health
Week 8. Monitoring and Indicators of Children's Education and Development
Week 9. Monitoring and Indicators of Child Protection – Children in Conflict with the Law
Week 10. Monitoring and Indicators of Child Protection – Abused Children and Children in Situations of Exploitation
Week 11. Preparation of Monitoring Reports and Follow-Up

About the instructor

Fiona Ang is Director of the Flemish Organisation for Human Rights Education (VORMEN). Before joining VORMEN in 2008 she worked as a Researcher at the University of Louvain as part of a interdisciplinary research team on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ms. Ang also worked as a Child Rights Officer and International Programmes Officer at UNICEF Belgium and as intern at the United Nations and Amnesty International in Geneva, Brussels and Jakarta. Her areas of expertise are children's rights, human rights education and pedagogy. She regularly conducts training workshops for teachers, NGO staff, policy makers and law enforcement officials.

Who should apply

The course is intended for human rights/child rights staff of NGOs, intergovernmental and government agencies, children's advocates and child-related professionals. Participants should have a good written command of English -- the working language of the course -- and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants. The maximum number of course participants is 25. A Certificate of Participation will be awarded upon successful completion of the course. It also possible to audit the course.

Costs

The course tuition fee is US$ 725; permanent residents of non-OECD countries are eligible for a discounted tuition rate of US$ 450. Tuition for auditors is US$ 275; permanent residents of non-OECD countries are eligible for a discounted tuition rate of US$ 175. Unfortunately, there are no scholarships available for this course.

* Current member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

Applications

This course has been rescheduled from the second to the third trimester. The deadline for applications is 1 August 2012. However, applications will be considered on a first-come-first-served basis.

Application form

Frequently asked questions about HREA's e-learning courses.