HUMAN RIGHTS PREREQUISITES FOR MIDDLE LEADERS IN PROMOTING INCLUSION AND EQUITY IN DIVERSE SCHOOL CONTEXTS

Despite being at the vanguard of converting policy into feasible workplace practices, middle leaders (MLs) are frequently seen as being in a difficult situation because of their position.MLs must balance numerous responsibilities, navigate complicated situations, and they often lack the authority to make final decisions.For MLs to initiate transformative change, they must be afforded the freedom and opportunity to engage creatively with policy and practice to advance equitable human rights cultures that are more consistent with their educational principles.This article examines how MLs can generate human rights cultures through engaging in the discursive policy arena while harnessing democratizing tactics in diverse school contexts.Applying a conceptual research design and looking through the lenses of the theory of human rights, we contend that MLs in schools are now more critical than ever to guarantee that the core principle of democracy is realized in diverse learning environments.To this end, we offer an analysis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO, 2017) guide for ensuring equity and inclusion in education.From this analysis, we suggest that human rights prerequisites like promoting equal dignity, policy actors for equality and inclusion, and harnessing collective responsiveness can be applied as institutional practices to prevent human rights violations in diverse school contexts.