Rights Respecting Schools:Workshop Series

Workshop 1

Children’s Rights and Education

Welcome

Please find materials at your table to create a name plate.

Thank you for helping me to learn your names.

Then take a minute to fill in the Five-Minute Reflection.

Congratulations!

Congratulations for the commitment your school has made to children’s rights and rights respecting education through your enthusiasm for the Rights Respecting Schools initiative.

Let’s get learning!

Impacts of Rights Respecting Education

FOR STUDENTS

• Improved self-esteem and well-being

• Improved relationships and behaviour

• Improved engagement in learning

• Positive attitudes towards diversity in society

• Reduction in prejudice

• Enhanced moral understanding

• Support for global justice

“When you are talking people listen to you and they don’t interrupt. They give you the right to speak up.”

Daniella, Grade 5 , Cape Horn

Workshop 1: Children’s Rights and Education

AGENDA

• Introductions

• Where are we?

• Five-Minute Reflection

• Activity 1: Human and Children’s Rights

• Activity 2: Clustering Rights

• Activity 3: Defining Rights Respecting Education

• Activity 4: The Rights Respecting Schools Initiative

Rights Respecting Schools

Rights Respecting Schools use the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework for educational improvementthat aims to transform the whole learning environment with a consistent, rights-based approach.

Cape Horn Elementary SchoolCanada’s First Rights Respecting School

The Ultimate Outcome

Educational policies, practices and decisions are all made in the best interest of the child

Children’s rights are fulfilled and protected in Canadian schools

Where have we been?

School makesa commitmentto become an

RRS

Where have we been?

Children’s Rights Team is formed

Where have we been?

School conducts the Initial Rights Assessment

- Admin Survey- Student Focus Groups- Student Workshops

- Staff Survey

Where are we now?

Staff and parents undergo professional development training

-5 workshops

Workshop Series

Five Professional Development Workshops:• Workshop 1: Children’s Rights and Education

• Workshop 2: Building Awareness

• Workshop 3: Meaningful Student Participation

• Workshop 4: Teaching and Learning Through a Rights Lens

• Workshop 5: Leadership for a Rights Respecting School

The Cycle of Learning

Where are we headed?

Children’s Rights Team develops the

RRS Action Plan

Where are we headed?

School implements the RRS Action Plan

Where are we headed?

School repeats the

Admin Survey, Student

Focus Groups, Staff

Survey

Five-Minute Reflection

INSTRUCTIONS

Reflect silently on the following four questions:

• What do I know about children’s rights?

• From where did I gain my understanding of children’s rights?

• How have aspects of my identity and position in society (locally,

nationally, globally) shaped my understanding of children’s rights?

• How has my life experience shaped my understanding of

children’s rights?

Jot down any thoughts you want to remember.

Statements about Human Rights

1. Not everyone has equal rights.

2. Every person can claim his or her rights.

3. Some rights are more important than others.

4. Human rights can be taken away.

5. Every human right contributes to a person’s

dignity.

Principles of Human Rights

STATEMENT 1

Not everyone has equal rights.

Every human is born with the same rights – human beings are equal and so are rights.

Everyone everywhere has human rights – human rights are universal.

No one can be denied his or her rights because of factors such as age, religion, sex, ethnic background, etc. - human rights are non-discriminatory.

Principles of Human Rights

STATEMENT 2

Every person can claim his or her rights.

Anyone can claim her or his rights, so long as in doing so they do not infringe or restrict the rights of others.

In the process of claiming their rights, all people have the right to participate in and access the information and decision-making processes that affect their lives and well-being.

Principles of Human Rights

STATEMENT 3

Some rights are more important than others.

Human rights are interdependent and interrelated meaning that the fulfillment of one right often depends, wholly or in part, upon the fulfillment of others.

In order for all human rights to be upheld, no one right can be deemed more important than another.

Principles of Human Rights

STATEMENT 4

Human rights can be taken away.

All people everywhere are entitled to their rights. These rights cannot be taken away any more than a human cannot stop being human. Human rights are inalienable.

Principles of Human Rights

STATEMENT 5

Every human right contributes to a person’s dignity.

Each and every right has been deemed equally important for the full realization of a person’s dignity.

Human rights are indivisible. No one right can be denied or compromised to uphold another.

What are children’s rights?

• Children (all people under the age of 18) have the same human rights as adults.

• But they require special care and protection that adults do not.

• Children’s rights are laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention)

• Rights to survival, development (physical and

mental), protection, and participation

• Drafted in 1978 and adopted November 1989

• Canada ratified in 1991

• Most widely ratified human rights treaty

• Monitored by the UN Committee on the Rights of

the Child

The Story of Children’s Rights

www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk/default.aspx

Clustering Rights Activity

• Organize the articles of the Convention so that articles that are similar or have commonalities are in the same ‘cluster’

• Give each cluster a ‘name’

Types of Rights

Survival RightsRight to life and to have your most basic needs met (for example: shelter, nutrition, medical treatment).

Development RightsRights that allow you to reach your fullest potential (for example: education, play and leisure, cultural activities).

Participation RightsRights that allow you to take an active role in your community (for example: the freedom to express opinions, to join associations).

Protection RightsRights that protect you from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation (for example: protection against involvement in armed conflict and child labour).

Simplify for Young Children

Survival Rights – Be Healthy

Development Rights – Be Yourself

Participation Rights – Be Heard

Protection Rights – Be Safe

A Life Like Mine

Why teach children about rights?

• It is their right to know their rights – Article 42• We have a responsibility as educators to teach children about their

rights

• To further the values of children’s rights• When children learn about their rights they become more aware of

the importance of respect, cooperation, inclusion and responsibility

• Children’s rights values provide a consistent framework• The consistent values framework of children’s rights helps children

choose appropriate behaviour

• Children become more involved• Children look outside themselves to others

Why in Canadian Schools?

Approaches to Children’s Rights Education

Approaches A Children are taught the roles and responsibilities they will gain as adults which

neglects to treat children as right-bearers and citizens.

B Grudgingly recognizes the rights of children and makes the assumption children are not able to understand and practice these rights. Children are taught of the rights outlined in the Convention but these rights are not recognized or respected in their school.

C Focuses on issues such as how fortunate children are to have the Convention’s rights and protection and does little to impact attitudes and behaviour of children.

D Students are taught about developing countries as places that abuse the rights of children and that there is a Convention to protect the rights of those children, but that it fails.

E The Convention is taken into consideration through both pedagogical approaches and content. Students are engaged in the process of democratic learning and participation. Children’s rights are not only taught but respected, recognized and modeled.

Source: Covell, K., and Howe, B. Empowering Children: Children’s Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship, Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated (2005), 13.

Defining Rights Respecting Education

Terms Definitions

“Not Yet” Children are taught the roles and responsibilities they will gain as adults which neglects to treat children as right-bearers and citizens.

“Constrained Rights” Education

Grudgingly recognizes the rights of children and makes the assumption children are not able to understand and practice these rights. Children are taught of the rights outlined in the Convention but these rights are not recognized or respected in their school.

“Limited Rights” Education

Focuses on issues such as how fortunate children are to have the Convention’s rights and protection and does little to impact attitudes and behaviour of children.

“Rights Violation” Education

Students are taught about developing countries as places that abuse the rights of children and that there is a Convention to protect the rights of those children, but that it fails.

“Full-Blown” or “Rights Respecting” Education

The Convention is taken into consideration through both pedagogical approaches and content. Students are engaged in the process of democratic learning and participation. Children’s rights are not only taught but respected, recognized and modeled.

Schools Protect and Uphold Children’s Rights

For this activity you only need to refer to the following

14 articles:

2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 42

Rights Respecting School Building Blocks

Awareness The school community (students, staff, teachers, parents) knows and understands the concept of children’s rights, the rights children have as outlined in the Convention and how children’s rights relate to school culture and to their own roles.

Student Participation Every student has regular opportunities to be an active participant in the school community, and his or her opinions are sought and listened to by decision makers.

Teaching and Learning The Convention is a reference point for classroom rules, formal and informal curriculum implementation and other decision-making. Adults model rights-respecting attitudes and behaviour, and students are given regular opportunities to learn about and exercise their rights and responsibilities.

Leadership Administrators are committed to promoting respect for children’s rights. Children’s rights are used as a lens for policies, program choices, program implementation, and other decision-making.

RRS Action Plan

Rights Respecting Schools Action Plan(Template)

• Roadmap school uses to build rights respecting capacities of the school community

• RRS Action Plan Template designed around RRS Building Blocks / Benchmarks

• Development started during Workshops 2-5

• Children’s Rights Team completes the RRS Action Plan in Step 5: Make a Plan

Take-Away Resources – Staff & Parents

Children’s Rights and Responsibilities: The Convention in Child-Friendly Language

• Can be used to explain rights and the Convention to children

Children’s Rights At Your School

• Can be used to explain rights and the Convention to children• Activity ideas to do at school and home to help children learn about their rights

Additional Resource for Teachers

Creating a Rights Respecting Classroom: Engaging Activities and Tools for Grades Kindergarten to Eight

• Available as PDF of activities by grade• Includes pedagogical approaches, strategies and tips• Engaging, hands-on and teacher-tested

• Available for download from: rightsrespectingschools.ca• Use the password rrs123 to access under the ‘School Resources‘ section of the website

Congratulations!

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