On safety and security in education: Pedagogical needs and fundamental rights of learners

Abstract

Taken in a narrow way, safety and security in education imply the absence of physical harm to learners and educators. However, growing attention is being paid in education law literature to broader aspects of safety and security such as problems of emotional insecurity (through bullying, for example) and pedagogical insecurity (through discriminatory teaching, for example). While there is formidable literature in education law and policy on the physical dimensions of safety and security, little is known about pedagogical security, particularly when viewed from the perspectives of those directly affected: the learners in the classroom. What is discomforting according to our empirical research is the lack of fit between the legal obligations to meet the pedagogical needs and fundamental rights of learners and the approaches to teaching and learning in the classroom. This research therefore aims to build awareness of stronger transdisciplinary collaboration between education law and teaching-learning.

Keywords

• pedagogical needs
• fundamental rights
• school safety
• school security