Children's rights in schools: Rights, learning and teaching and the curriculum
Examples of rights, learning and the curriculum include:
- Rights Respecting Schools GOLD level award
- if rights take away from learning and teaching
- if teaching about rights impacts attainment
- the right to Gaelic Medium Education
The best place to find examples is through existing Gold Accredited schools.
UNICEF have created a list of all Gold Rights Respecting Schools in the UK . Consider contacting a school local to you to find out more.
Other examples
Other examples include:
Equalities and Inclusion at Barrhead High (glowscotland.org.uk)
Rights Respecting at Balerno High School (wordpress.com)
The pupil parliament at Inveralmond Community High School (westlothian.org.uk)
Gryffe High School Promoting Positive Relationships Policy (cloud.microsoft)
St Margaret's primary school pupil parliament
Further reading
Rights-based approaches do not detract from teaching time. They ensure that learners feel safe and well.
These approaches involve learners in planning and evaluating their own learning. Research indicates that this leads to improved attainment and achievement.
Schools need to ensure that this is included in their school improvement plan. Respecting rights should be integrated into the working time agreement so that teachers have time for professional learning and planning.
Further reading
How rights connect to Curriculum for Excellence (children's parliament)
Article 30 of the UNCRC makes it clear that children and young people who belong to a minority group have the right to share their culture, language, and religion with others in that group.
Efforts should be made to ensure that resources for GME are available to learners who request them.
There are direct links between The United Nations Sustainable Development goals and children's rights.
These cover a range of overlapping themes including:
- no poverty
- zero hunger
- quality education
- gender equality
‘Climate action’ is also very much a children’s rights issue.
Children’s rights must be respected to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Inner Development Goals provide a framework of skills and qualities. These help us to deal with our increasingly complex environment and challenges. This includes:
- being
- thinking
- relating
- collaborating
- acting
Each of these skills and qualities is essential to recognise and realise children’s rights.
Everyone should see their fingerprints
Hear how Sgoil Lionacleit in Benbecula developed a new policy for mobile phones taking a rights based approach.
Further reading
Learning for Sustainability advice and guidance
Mapping the Global Goals to Children's Rights (unicef.org)
