Infusing human rights into the curriculum: The case of the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement

This article reflects on experiences of attempting to infuse human rights in the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). Using our experiences as members of Human Rights and Inclusivity Group (HRIWG), one of the curriculum development structures set up for the RNCS, and focusing particularly on the Learning Area of Mathematics, we argue that human rights in the curriculum amount to a minimum infusion in the RNCS. We explain what we mean by minimum infusion and its links with the Bernsteinian concept of "integration", as well as what minimum and maximum infusion mean in relation to human rights (in) education. We argue that the minimum infusion of human rights in the RNCS is influenced by three critical factors: difficulties in redefining disciplinary boundaries; assessing human rights knowledge, skills, values and attitudes; and, fundamental contradictions related to developing a culture based on human rights within rampant processes of a capitalist global political economy.