RIGHTS, RESPECT

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RIGHTS, RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY(RRR)

• Whole school development and Leadership

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Rights, Respect Responsibility

• Aim To work with children and young people to
  develop more knowledgeable, active, socially
  responsible, democratic citizens.
• 360 primary schools have chosen to take up RRR
  training. About 45 secondary schools are now
  involved to some extent.

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Hampshire RRR Key Features

• The UN Convention is taught as a body of
  knowledge and is promoted as a framework for the
  schools ethos and teaching and learning.
• It treats children and young people as citizens
  now.
• Supports identity development and self esteem as
  children see themselves as bearers of rights,
  just like adults.
• A Rights perspective is built into a range of
  subjects, including Literacy, Maths, Science and
  History. Special days, weeks, assemblies

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• The programme is for all pupils and students from
  3 -19
• The universality and internationalism of the
  Convention provides a context for rights
  promotion and exploring rights violations both
  near and far.
• Promotes participatory approaches to teaching and
  learning, effective use of purposeful talk and
  negotiation
• Use of P4C techniques
• A framework for a schools Citizenship work.
  (Healthy Schools, relationship education, drugs
  education, school councils) as related to
  articles in the Convention

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• It allows teachers, schools and children to point
  to an Authority that is higher than their
  classroom, the school, their community or their
  country in support of the schools values.
• It demonstrates that codes of conduct are not
  unique to each school, but come from a set of
  world-wide principles, informed by the moral
  precepts of the world religions, but not
  religious.
• It is particularly appropriate in the 21st
  Century for promoting Community Cohesion.

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What is likely to be different?

• Class charters on Rights and Responsibilities,
  signed by both pupils and teachers
• Higher levels of participation in all aspects of
  schooling.
• A rights based vocabulary is developed through
  the regular work of teachers.
• Growing involvement in Unicef RRSA

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Evidence from research, 2005 - Teachers

• teachers feel empowered and many are reminded
  about why they came into the job
• less low level disruption more time for
  teaching
• the classroom and school atmosphere is healthier
  teachers enjoy their jobs more

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What happens for children?

• their approach to resolving conflict with each
  other and adults is less adversarial
• there is less bullying
• they show a greater concern for themselves, each
  other and children in other parts of the world

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What happens for children?

• their language becomes more sophisticated and
  they are more likely to use higher order thinking
• they are more likely to attend school
• they are less likely to be excluded
• they begin to behave like citizens

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RRR Research in Hants 2007

• Main RRR impact is on
• Childrens self regulation of both learning and
  social behaviours
• Increased pupil performance in tests
• Cognitive risk taking and critical thinking.
• This impact is
• Across the age range
• Found in different socio demographic contexts

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Why does it work?

• It puts children at the centre of a world
  that cares about them and appeals to their desire
  for universality
• Rights education is a preventative strategy
  that creates the conditions where good behaviour
  can become the norm

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BUT

• Only has this impact when it is embedded across
  the curriculum and the school

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RRR Problem Solving Day

• Whole school scenario of a plane crash.
• All adults run a problem solving activity based
  on an article of the Convention.
• Children sign up for 3 activities from available
  choices before the day.
• Small groups from across the whole school work as
  teams to gain points for their class.

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The process

• The children can only escape from the Island if
  enough points have been earned by the end of the
  day.
• Small prize for the class with the most points.
• Staff offer activities that play to their
  strengths or own interests.

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Activities

• Parachute - the Right to healthy food and decent
  shelter. Work as a team to collect food items
  and use the parachute as shelter.
• Igloo the Right to decent shelter. Build a
  shelter for your team from empty boxes. (Need
  collecting in advance)
• Obstacle Course the Right to medical care.
  Carry medical and aid items such as water, tent,
  stretcher, dog (fluffy toy!) over the course,
  working as a team.
• Communications Mast the Right to access
  information. Build a communications mast from
  the materials given (newspaper and tape) to
  support a satellite dish a metre high.

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Activities

• Tree Trail the Right to not be involved in
  conflicts. Find a safe path through the jungle
  at night (blindfolded!) away from a war zone.
• Water Course the Right to clean water.
  Carrying open containers of water over obstacles.
• Hoops the Right to relax and play. A series of
  team building games.

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Evaluating rights work UNICEF RRSA

• 4 Aspects
• Leadership and Management
• Teachers, pupils, adults understanding of
  relevance of UNCRC to school ethos curriculum
• Teaching and Learning
• Pupil participation

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Leadership Management
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Leading in a Rights Respecting School

• Implications for
• leadership style
• systems staffing structures
• relationships between staff, staff pupils,
  parents, community,
• school policies,
• How do you make difficult decisions ethically?

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• If I told the staff we were not doing the
  rights work, I would have a riot on my hands.