Education in family rights and responsibilities in Basic General Education: a socio-educational study

Abstract

Introduction: Contemporary education demands educational approaches that integrate disciplinary learning with the ethical, civic, and socio-emotional development of students. In the Ecuadorian context, the right to alimony has been analyzed primarily from the perspective of parental obligations toward children and adolescents, while the obligation to provide support between legally married and de facto separated spouses has received scant attention from an educational perspective. This gap limits the pedagogical understanding of an issue that, although belonging to the legal sphere, has educational implications linked to a culture of rights, family responsibility, and the prevention of situations of vulnerability. Materials and methods: A qualitative research approach was developed, with a documentary-bibliographic design and an analytical-interpretive scope, based on a review of Ecuadorian regulations, official curricular documents, and specialized academic literature on civic education, coexistence, co-responsibility, and family. Results: The results showed an indirect, but not explicit, presence of these topics in the Basic General Education curriculum, as well as a weak connection between civic education and family responsibilities in the reviewed educational literature. Discussion: Basic General Education is a relevant setting for promoting preventive education in family rights and responsibilities through strategies focused on coexistence, the ethics of care, and relational justice. Conclusions: It is concluded that schools can fulfill a preventive role by strengthening students' understanding of the relationship between rights, duties, and shared responsibility, thus forming more conscious, supportive, and justice-oriented individuals in their daily interactions.