You have the right to know your rights! Adults should know your rights and help you learn about them too.” Article 42, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – (In Child Friendly Language)
My Rights….My Responsibilities (MRMR) is an international project based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It aims to raise the profile of the CRC amongst the 6 schools involved, so that the values enshrined within them become embedded in the culture of each school. It will address Article 42, quoted above, which states that every child should be taught about their rights.
The CRC agenda is very high within the European Union (EU), & all EU legislation linked to children is underpinned by these rights. As the UK distances itself from the EU, & the EU itself faces new challenges, we believe that now more than ever it is of vital importance to use projects such as these to develop cross-cultural links & forge strong relationships with each other so that children develop tolerance and understanding of others.
My Rights….My Responsibilities involves primary schools from UK, Poland, Spain, Greece, Romania & Italy. Amongst these countries, through UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) Programme, the UK is at the forefront of thinking about Children’s Rights. The others, whilst recognizing the importance of them, have thus far done little to address them. The UK school is committed to RRS & is keen to both share its learning, & develop new methods & thinking about CRC with its partners. The project is directed mainly at pupils from 9-12 years old & will involve small teams in each school as drivers of the project, but also whole classes & whole schools.
The main objectives of the project are: to develop knowledge & understanding of the CRC, relating this to everyday lives; to develop pupil civic, cultural and interpersonal competences; to involve pupils in democratic processes, develop their critical thinking & sense of responsibility regarding rights; to exchange good practice, share experience & knowledge with partners in Europe, particularly in relation to rights & responsibilities in school, & in terms of developing ICT competencies; to develop pupils’ knowledge about crucial matters of health & well-being, both now and in the future; to improve language skills through a holistic approach & to promote entrepreneurship education.
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The main objectives of the project are to develop, for teachers & students:
knowledge + understanding of the CRC & relate these to their everyday lives
civic, cultural & interpersonal competences
ICT competencies.
to involve pupils in democratic processes, develop critical thinking & a sense of responsibility regarding their rights
to exchange good practice, share experience & knowledge with partners in Europe, particular in relation to rights & responsibilities in school
to develop pupils’ knowledge about crucial matters of health & well-being, now & in the future
to improve language skills through a holistic approach
to promote entrepreneurship education, preparing students for the world of work
Amongst the 6 countries involved, through UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) Programme, the UK is at the forefront of thinking about Children’s Rights. The UK school is committed to RRS & has been working with the European Children’s Rights Unit at Liverpool Uni, & with UNICEF to further develop work in this area. Summerhill is keen to both share its learning, & develop new methods & thinking about CRC with partners at home and abroad.
All schools involved are excited at the prospect of influencing the culture of each school through a focus on Rights and Responsibilities. They can see how the umbrella theme can have a direct & positive impact on their individual concerns & objectives. Poland, for example, has immediate concerns about obesity, which can be addressed through Article 24 & the ‘Five A Day?’ module. Greece is keen to find more ways to reduce bullying & will find the focus on Article 30 & Rights & Responsibilities in the Classroom & Playground particularly useful. Spain is interested in developing the student voice (Article 29 + ‘It’s a Small World’ module) as the school prepares to move into purpose built accommodation. Italy, with many students presenting with special needs, has a particular interest in Article 23 & the rights of those with disabilities. Romania, the only pre-school involved in the project, wants to be a future model for other European kindergartens in developing a strong, effective educational program on the Rights of the Child.
Teachers from all countries have discussed needs & concerns with their students, staff & even parents, & the project has been designed to address these. Eg. Surveys at Summerhill have shown a need to improve playtimes, & they will be able to explore this through Article 31 (the right to play & rest) in ‘Ahead of the Game’ module.
This project will enable schools to work together to improve provision for learners & share innovative practices. Also to develop European networks & increase capacity to work at transnational level, building new approaches to safeguarding student rights. We want to build staff ICT & behaviour management competences in order to raise attainment generally. We believe that the interpersonal, entrepreneurial and ICT skills the project will develop in students are crucial to a future highly skilled workforce.