New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) A non-governmental body which has initiated teaching of human rights in schools across the country has approached the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to introduce a course for teachers on the subject.At their first advisory committee meet which took place in the capital Wednesday, V. Vasanthi Devi, chairperson of the Institute of Human Rights Education (IHRE), asked V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, the vice chancellor of IGNOU, to introduce a course for teachers on human rights.

“IGNOU has a reach which very few other varsities may have. It caters to two million learners in 45 countries. Therefore with its collaboration, we are trying to introduce a course which will train teachers on the various aspects of human rights so that they can in turn teach their students the same,” Devi said.

Pillai, who is also a member of IHRE’s national advisory committee, responded by saying that they will have to work out the details of the same.

All of 10 years old, IHRE started its journey in Tamil Nadu where, with the help of just nine teachers, it initiated teaching of human rights to students in middle school (class 6-8).

Thereafter, human rights education was introduced as a subject in schools across 11 states, including Karnataka, Tripura, Orissa, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.

“Human rights education is now being taught as a module for three years in middle schools- both government and private, depending on the state where it is functioning,” Henri Tiphagne, advocate, who is a part of the initiate, told IANS.

IHRE is now taking its initiative to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, while the same will begin in Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya by January next year.