In West Dunbartonshire, to date 10 educational establishments from the primary, secondary and special sectors are committed to take part in a pilot to raise awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child within a community setting through UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA). Sarah Grumball Depute Head Teacher in Clydebank High School said, ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to make everyone aware of children’s rights. We are fired up and ready to go after watching UNICEF in action.’ Hot on the heels of Clydebank, St Eunan’s, Kilpatrick, St Mary’s, St Kessog’s, Christie Park, St Michael’s primary schools will soon launch the RRSA.
For a school to receive the RRSA Level 1 Award, they must show evidence that they have reached the required standard in the following four categories, all of which contain elements contributing to the development of being an active global citizen:
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Leadership and management for embedding the values of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the life of the school.
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Knowledge and understanding of the UNCRC
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Rights respecting classrooms
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Pupils actively participate in decision-making throughout the school
A Level 2 is awarded to schools which demonstrate that these principles are fully embedded in the life of the school.
Tam Baillie, Scotland’s commissioner for children and young people, said "Dumbarton Academy's achievement - to raise awareness of children's rights through the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award - is a fantastic example of how using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child can shape the ethos of the school and deliver real, concrete benefits to everyone involved.”
Dumbarton Academy Headteacher, Graham Hutton explains “Differences we would expect to see in participating schools include: a decrease in bullying, an improvement in achievement and participation, a positive effect on attitudes and global awareness and a more inclusive, caring school atmosphere. Many of the projects that Dumbarton Academy already runs actually tie in with the values laid out in UNICEF’s work.”
Graham adds, “I would like to point out that I do feel immense pride at how articulate the Dumbarton Academy students were in the debate with the Commissioner and the representatives from UNICEF. As the group worked their way through the 42 articles discussing in fine detail and identifying the areas that Dumbarton Academy as a school should focus on. Our students made a lot of valid points and suggestions on how we improve communication to involve everyone, throughout the school, to take part.”
Bruce Wilkinson from UNICEF explains, “Every child has the right to an education which should develop his or her personality and talents to the full and a right to have his or her voice heard. These are just two of the 42 articles which make up the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is at the heart of what UNICEF does.
Children’s rights are based on their needs to thrive as human beings. These rights are therefore unconditional. It is up to adults to ensure children learn about and understand their rights. Adults also need to help children grow to understand what they and adults can do that will best ensure these rights are enjoyed by all.
“That’s where the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) comes in,” Bruce Wilkinson explained, “This award aims to help a school to bring the values and principles set out in the CRC into the school’s ethos and its curriculum in a way that means something to everybody.”
A Rights-Respecting school doesn’t just teach children to name their rights, children also come to understand that, along with their rights, are implied responsibilities.
The idea that children can improve the quality of their own and their families’ lives if they learn what their rights and responsibilities are is central to the RRSA. This includes raising their achievement at school in the broadest sense. The way you engage children in recognising their responsibilities is not to present them as negative but as part of the empowerment that comes from having their rights respected.
“When children learn about their rights they also learn that they are universal. If every child is to enjoy their rights then each needs to learn to respect each other’s rights.”
