Educators in Scotland are committed to upholding and promoting the rights of learners in a range of settings. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 gained Royal assent in January 2024. This is due to commence on 16th July 2024.

The Act will ensure that children’s rights are respected and protected in the law in Scotland. All public bodies and organisations who provide services on behalf of a public body will have to comply with the legislation.

Further support

The Improvement Service are supporting local authorities to prepare for the incorporation of the UNCRC. They will help take forward a children’s rights approach to policy and practice.

How we work

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• connect our work to the real lives of children and young people (Article 3).
• think about the effect our work will have on children and young people, but also how we can respond to their ideas by changing and adapting what we do. We follow this principle when we work with adults too (Articles 3, 12).
• visit schools and other settings in the most environmentally friendly ways possible. We balance convenient digital connection with the value of in-person interaction (Article 24).
• help people talk about their learning and its effect on them, and, to do this in safe and supportive spaces where all are heard and have a fair chance to speak (Articles 2, 12, 13, 29).
• commit to engaging with ALL learners where and when we can, listen to their ideas and opinions and use these to help our own learning and actions (Articles 12, 29). Consider which learners we might not be hearing from as much and put things in place to change this.
• respect people's time and opportunity to relax and play. We avoid taking up breaks or lunchtimes unless agreed by all (Article 31).
• affirm the right to switch off for children, young people and adults (Article 31).

Sharing resources

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• always make sure that resources are in child-friendly language.
• consider whether resources should also be produced in Gaelic, British Sign Language or other community languages where appropriate.
• expand acronyms, including UNCRC, on slides and when speaking so everyone can understand what they stand for.

Read more tips for creating child friendly information.

Being a rights respecting ally

We can facilitate and communicate the principles of UNCRC through:

• including a regular section on children's rights and the UNCRC in meetings
• asking for any special requirements participants or visitors have
• ensuring venues are fully accessible
• providing a way for participants to give feedback on how inclusive the session was
• making every effort to enable participants to use their language of choice
• treating people as individuals and avoid making assumptions or projecting cultural stereotypes
• linking the UNCRC articles to any professional learning delivered (see example)
• helping every child and young person reach their potential and help those who educate them to do so as well (Article 29).
• giving children and young people a meaningful voice in decision making

The Lundy model of child participation

Children’s Rights- Further resources

A range of resources to support conversations with children, young people and colleagues in Education Scotland, schools, other educational settings and stakeholder organisations.