“No one has a solution, madam”: Experiences of Soweto township secondary school teachers teaching human rights education

Abstract

This article reports on the experiences of secondary school teachers teaching human rights education in Soweto township in South Africa. The study was anchored in phenomenological design and adopted a qualitative research approach. Twelve participants from four urban public secondary schools in Soweto township were sampled. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. Findings revealed that the participants’ experiences were negative due to a lack of teaching resources, a lack of training to teach human rights education, and a lack of support from district officials. However, more positively, participants viewed themselves as having a significant role in teaching human rights education despite their challenges. Based on the findings, the article suggests more support from different stakeholders, such as the Department of Education, the South African Police Services (SAPS), human rights organizations, and other non-governmental organizations in relation to teacher training and teaching resources for the effective teaching of human rights education.