An introduction to
children’s rights
Group activity
agenda
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What are human rights?
Why children’s rights?
The UNCRC
Children’s rights in Wales
Children’s rights for education planning &
policy officers
• Reflection and evaluation
Core Principles of Human Rights
• Universal
• Inalienable
• Indivisible
• Accountable
FREDA principles
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Fairness and freedom
Respect
Equality
Dignity
Autonomy
Why do children need separate rights?
• Maturity
• Voiceless and invisible
• Possessions
Wants, Needs and Rights
• Want - a desire for something
• Need - the state of requiring help, or of
lacking basic necessities such as food
• Right - a moral or legal entitlement to have or
do something
The 4 Components of a Right
1. The Rights Holder (a human being )
2. The Object (the thing they have a right to)
3. The Obligated (people or institutions “duty bearers”)
4. The Justification (greater human dignity,
societal development, a peaceful society)
Body of Rights
The UNCRC
• 54 articles
• 41 substantive articles
• 3 domains
4 underpinning rights
Article 2 - No discrimination
Article 3 - Best interests of the child
Article 6 - Right to life
Article 12 - Right to be heard
National Children and Young
People’s Participation Standards
1. Information- which is easy for children and
young people to understand
2. It’s Your Choice – enough information and time
to make an informed choice
3. No Discrimination - every young person has
the same chance to participate.
4. Respect- Your opinion will be taken seriously
5.You get something out of it- You will enjoy the
experience
6. Feedback- You will find out what difference your
opinion has made
7. Improving how we work- Adults will ask you
how they can improve how they work for the
future
Implementing the right to education
- an example
Government
Has an obligation to find & allocate resources,
define policy, achieve progress against targets
Education
institutions
Have an obligation to train teachers, organise
resources, create a child friendly environment
Teachers
Have an obligation to teach well, to encourage
parents, to support all children
Parents
Should support their children’s learning
Children and Should respect other children in order to support
young people their peers to exercise their rights
The reporting process
• Every 5 years
• Reports to the UN:
– UK Government (inc section by Welsh
Government)
– NGO report
– Young peoples report
– Children’s Commisioners’ report (4 nations)
• Concluding observations
• Welsh Government action plan
• Monitoring group
Coffee break
UN Concluding Observations 2008 most relevant
to education planning & policy officers 1
Welsh Government/UK government must
1. Make sure that the rights in the UNCRC are known and understood by
adults and children
2. Make sure the principles and values of the UNCRC are central to everything
that happens in schools
3. There must be training on the UNCRC for all adults working with children
including teachers
4. Must ensure respect for children’s views in the family, school, communities
and institutions
5. Make sure that physical punishment is clearly banned in schools
6. Set up ways to check how many cases of violence, sexual abuse, neglect, bad
treatment or exploitation take place in schools
7. Make sure that teachers know about their duty to report and act on
suspected cases of domestic violence affecting children
UN Concluding Observations 2008 most relevant
to education planning & policy officers 2
Welsh Government/UK government must
8. Provide training for teachers who work with disabled children
9. Provide better sex and relationship services and education to
teenagers, and make sure that sex education is taught in schools
10. Do more to make sure that children’s backgrounds (where they
live, parents education, income) do not affect how well they do
in school
11. Put more money into making sure that all children get a fully
inclusive education
12. Make sure children who do not go to school get an excellent
education
13. Only use permanent and temporary exclusion as a last resort
UN Concluding Observations 2008 most relevant
to education planning & policy officers 3
Welsh Government/UK government must
14. Do more to reduce the number of children who are excluded
from school
15. Make sure that social workers and psychologists are available in
schools
16. Do more to stop bullying and violence in schools, including by
using education about human rights and tolerance
17. Strengthen children’s patricipation in everything that affects
them at school
18. Make sure children have the right to appeal against their
exclusion
19. Make sure all children have the right to appeal to an SEN
tribunal about the education and suport they receive
Children’s Rights legislation &
policy in Wales
• 2004 Children Act – Welsh Government adopted UNCRC as basis for
all policy for children
• Seven core aims – based on UNCRC
• National Action Plan – Getting it Right 2009 - addressing 16 priorities
for Wales
• Children and Families (Wales) Measure - passed in 2010
• Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure - Ministers
will have to pay due regard to the UNCRC in all decisions they take
Articles most relevant to education
planning & policy officers 1
• Article 12 – right to be heard
• Article 13 – freedom of expression
• Article 14 – governments should respect children’s rights to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• Article 16 – right to privacy
• Article 17 – access to appropriate information
• Article 18 – both parents share responsibility for bringing up
their children
• Article 19 – protection from abuse and neglect
Articles most relevant to education
planning & policy officers 2
• Article 23 – disabled children have the right to special care,
education and training to enjoy a full life
• Article 28 – right to education
• Article 29 – education should develop the child’s personality,
talents and mental and physical abilities to the fullest extent
• Article 31 – right to leisure, play and cultural activities
Think of a child …
Putting learning
into practice
Any final questions?