Abstract:
Literature review indicated that a gap exists between how different stakeholders understand the
universal values espoused in the rights of the child and the place of local values. This affects
discipline in primary and secondary schools in Malawi in that school managers are unsure of
which set of values they should promote. Guided by the theoretical lens of the theory of
incompatibilities and culturally responsive methodology, this conceptual article examines how
the gap between some rights of the child and the local values can be bridged. Having examined
theories of deliberative pedagogy and democracy, global citizenship education, transformative
pedagogy, multiculturalism, and democratic education, negotiation between stakeholders was
considered an appropriate approach to analysing the compatibility of the local and universal
values with the purpose of adopting values they agree with and rejecting/adapting those that are
questionable. In this connection, a model that involves key stakeholders has been developed to
guide negotiations. It is hoped that integrating local and universal values will reduce conflict
between the stakeholders and therefore improve discipline in schools in Malawi.
