Rights, Respecting School
Barclay Primary – A Rights Respecting School
Since the beginning of 2011, the school has been working closely with UNICEF, with the aim of becoming a ‘Rights Respecting’ School. The term is bestowed on those schools who, in the eyes of UNICEF, put the UN Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC) at the heart of their educational policies and practices. This is something we are very keen to do at Barclay. Below is a summary of the Convention and some of its main articles.
We want children at Barclay to be aware of these rights and how they can support other children around the world to ensure that their rights are respected as well. The school also needs to model rights and respect in all relationships: between adults and pupils, between pupils themselves and between adults themselves. Only when the UNCRC is properly embedded in the school ethos and culture, will Barclay achieve the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA).
As part of the journey towards the RRSA, we will be doing lots of work with the children on the UNCRC, their rights and also their responsibilities. As parents, you can support the school by talking to your child about UNICEF and the UNCRC. If you have any ideas about how the school could use the UNCRC to inform or add value to its work in local, UK or global communities, please contact either myself or Mrs Wareing (PHSCE Coordinator). We would love to hear from you.
If you would like to find out more about the work of UNICEF or the Rights Respecting School Award, please follow the links below
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises that children have special needs that have to be provided for them by adults and governments. Having these basic needs met is the right of every child and, if met, will allow every child in the world to develop to their full potential. All the United Nations member countries took part in drafting the convention.
The Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20th 1989. By 1991, it had been ratified by all but two countries in the world (Somalia and the USA), making it the most universal statement on rights. By ratifying the Convention, governments agree that the rights it contains are ones they are committed to implementing for all children in their country.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child contains 54 Articles. The first 42 of these describe children’s specific rights, which fall into four broad categories of survival, development, protection and participation in society. The remaining Articles address issues of implementation.
Summary of Articles
Articles 1 and 2
All children throughout the world have these rights
Article 6
Children have a right to live
Article 7 and 8
Children should have a name
Article 9
Children should live with their parents or someone who cares for them
Article 12
Children should be listened to and be able to say what they think about things
Article 13
Children should be able to find out about things
Article 14
Children should be able to worship as they wish
Article 15
Children should be able to meet together and have friends
Article 19
Children should be safe from harm. No child should be hurt by a grown-up or another child
Article 23
Children in need of special care should get it
Article 24
Children should have clean water, food that is good for them, a clean place to live and good health care
Article 28
Children should be able to go to school
Article 31
Children should be allowed to play
Article 32
Children should not be allowed to do dangerous work
Article 36
Children should be protected from activities which stop them from growing up in a healthy, happy way.
Article 42
Everyone, children and adults, should know about Children’s Rights
