The growing interest in Human Rights Education (HRE) is linked in this paper to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989). The linkage between citizenship education and HRE is also highlighted, along with the necessary critiques of human rights pronouncements regarding the situation of HRE in Bahrain while the challenges ahead in improving and spreading HRE are also discussed. In an attempt to bring some much needed clarity to this field, this paper presents the theoretical and conceptual background for a field study that intends to examine whether young people graduating from high school in Bahrain are equipped with the civic knowledge and understanding necessary to participate effectively in society. It also presents young peoples' understanding of their rights, responsibilities and their awareness of the need for laws. In a mixed methods approach, quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. A questionnaire was administered to 460 final year high school students (53.3% females and 46.7% males) with a mean age of 18. Followed by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 22 students. The findings provide valuable insights into the problems encountered by young Bahrainis as they engage in the process of learning about HRE. This helps the educators, curriculum designers and policy makers to rewrite the objectives, content, approach and methods of school HRE to ensure they match the changing context and the changing needs of the young citizens in Bahrain. (A bibliography is included.)