Voices Report Ncd Childrens Rights

National Child Day: It’s Time for Children’s Rights Education Katherine Covell, PhD. Professor, Psychology Executive Director, Children’s Rights Centre University College of Cape Breton, Sydney, Nova Scotia November 2004

It has been over ten years since Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, yet we still lag behind in raising awareness about children’s rights. On the occasion of National Child Day 2004, Voices for Children asked Katherine Covell, executive director of the Children’s Rights Centre in Nova Scotia, to address this gap. “The first place to start is with kids themselves,” says Covell. “Children need to become better aware that they have rights and one of the most effective ways to do this is by providing children's rights education programs right in the classroom.” Importantly, children’s rights education has other positive spin-offs for children: it increases self-esteem and socially responsible attitudes and behaviours.

Introduction “I learned that respect and equality are important for everyone.” Grade 6 boy, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Imagine these words being spoken by thousands of children across the country. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified in Canada in 1991. Under its provisions, Canada is obligated to not only respect the rights of children, but also to spread awareness about their rights. Unfortunately, in Canada, we have not done a good job in letting the public and especially children know about this duty. It is time that we improved our efforts in child rights education and research is demonstrating that the most effective place to begin this is right in the classroom.1 Furthermore, the benefits extend beyond learning about rights - children and youth show an increase in selfesteem and demonstrate more socially responsible attitudes and behaviours. What are children’s rights? With 191 countries participating, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely and most quickly ratified international treaty in world history. For the purposes of the Convention, children are understood to be any person up to the age of 18.

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According to the Convention, children’s rights fall into three categories: Provision

Children have a right to basic health care and education.

Protection

Children must be protected against abuse, neglect and sexual and economic exploitation.

Participation

Children have the right to be heard in all matters that affect them. Children should have their thoughts taken into account subject to their evolving capacity and with parental guidance.

Good things happen when we teach young people about their rights In addition to meeting our obligation to fulfill a treaty, teaching children and youth about their rights appears to be more successful in promoting socially responsible behaviours and attitudes supportive of diversity than many of the more commonly used programs such as anti-bullying and anti-racist programs. Research in Belgium2, Canada3 and England4 consistently demonstrates that when children learn about their rights they show: • • • • • • •

increased self-esteem adult-like understanding of rights as including responsibilities more acceptance of minority children more acceptance of children with physical and cognitive difficulties increased perceptions of peer and teacher support increased rights-respecting attitudes, and more socially responsible behaviours.

Where is the best place to start teaching children’s rights? One of the most effective places to improve knowledge about children’s rights is to teach it in schools. Although children’s rights education has not been widely implemented in Canada’s school system, some progress has been made toward increasing awareness of children’s rights among teachers and students. The University College of Cape Breton Children's Rights Centre in Cape Breton Nova Scotia (UCCB) has developed children’s rights curricula and pilot tested them in Grade 6, Grade 8, and Grade 12 classrooms. As described above, our evaluations have shown a positive impact on student’s attitudes and behaviours. Children who learned about their rights within a caring and participatory classroom environment show more support for the rights of others and have more positive interactions with peers and teachers. Bullying and teasing are reduced.

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Observing the benefits of children’s rights education, the Nova Scotia Department of Education has now included the Grade 6 curriculum activities in its Health and Social Studies curricula for use across the province from kindergarten through Grade 6.

What makes children’s rights education so effective? There are three basic reasons why children’s rights education is effective: Children’s rights education is positive. Normally, when we teach children what behaviours we expect of them we tell them what not to do: “Don’t litter, don’t hit, don’t bully, don’t be racist.” These messages are disempowering and demoralizing and, as every parent knows, they get tuned out quickly. When children learn about their rights, it doesn’t take them long to become engaged and want to learn more. They quickly appreciate that they do not have to earn these rights and they also soon realize that rights are not just for them, they are the same for all children. In order to have their own rights respected they must make sure they respect the rights of others. Our research has shown that when children learn about their rights they identify better with all others because they realize that they share the same rights. In the words of one Grade 8 teacher: “They realized that since all children are bearers of rights, it is important to ensure that they respect the rights of others. This understanding was accompanied by a reduction in behaviours that infringe upon the rights of others.”5 Children’s rights education appeals to children and youth. Children are delighted and often astonished to learn that our government has actually signed a special convention for them. One Grade 6 child told us, “[having rights] makes kids feel wanted and feel good about themselves”6 Another particularly enthusiastic Grade 8 child even went so far as to say, “[rights education] makes children happy to get up in the morning and go to school knowing that they have people that care about them.”7 It is also important to note that, unlike many messages children receive, information about children’s rights has direct relevance to their daily lives now rather than being focused on their future adult lives. Children’s rights education provides an opportunity to model rights and respect in the classroom. Children’s rights education is best provided in a democratic classroom environment that values mutual respect among students and between students and

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teachers. The subject matter lends itself to classroom management styles that reflect the dignity and rights of each child and is taught through cooperative learning, role-play and debate. The evidence is clear that when teaching children’s rights, cooperative learning increases interpersonal understanding and plays a central role in the development of ethical reasoning.8 Role-play is valuable because it engages students and also increases their interpersonal understanding, their self-esteem and their social consciousness. Debate over rights related issues will promote a democratic values base within which children can evaluate their ideas, opinions and behaviours. As one Grade 8 student said, “I learned to know when I am being disrespected and disrespectful.”9

Teaching children’s rights in the classroom The Children’s Rights curricula were designed for Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 12 classrooms by the Children’s Rights Centre and they are readily available from our web site (in English or in French) or in hard copy.10 They were pilot tested in the Cape Breton-Victoria Region between 1998 and 2003. The rights-related themes covered in each are: Grade 6 healthy living personal safety drug use family life discrimination problem solving decision making

Grade 8 equality alcohol/drug use environment & health youth justice abuse & exploitation rights & sexuality employment & education

Grade 12 war-affected children sexual exploitation child labour education in developing countries discrimination health the environment

The resources use a learning outcomes framework which provides teachers with useful reference points to monitor student progress and to assess their ability, knowledge and understanding. A range of “curiosity activities” has been developed which help children become more aware of their rights and are designed to spark an interest in learning more. How widespread is children’s rights education? Children’s rights education has been widely embraced in England and their experience is useful in providing boards and administrators with solid reasons why it should be taught in Canadian schools. Keenly aware of the disadvantages of efforts to socialize children in “value free” educational settings, senior administrators in Hampshire County, England decided to institute children’s rights education.11 Their intent was to use children’s rights as the organizing ethos of their schools and classrooms. Their experience has been positive.

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When Britain joined the war in Iraq, children who were receiving children’s rights education came to school concerned about the potential violations of the rights of Iraqi children and wondering how they could help. Children who were not in the program came to school excited about bombs – and making the expected noises. Quite the difference! In Canada, few teachers and administrators even know about the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the benefits of children’s rights education.12 Many teachers are already overburdened with ever-expanding classroom expectations. Nonetheless, some are enthusiastic about including children’s rights in the curriculum, while others do not believe children’s rights is an appropriate topic for classroom teaching. At present, children’s rights education is not included in teacher training. Administrators and school boards have been raising concerns about how to teach the values, skills and attitudes necessary for democratic citizenship in the context of multiculturalism and globalization. Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in particular, and in light of decreasing democratic participation by youth, values education has been under scrutiny.13 Some have suggested that given the lack of agreement about whose values or what values should be taught in schools, it is misguided and futile to even try.14 These challenges will not be easy to overcome. Furthermore, the sad reality is that although real change takes time, schools, like all societal institutions, are looking for ready solutions. Many programs to reduce bullying, racism, or drug abuse are adopted because they are expected to bring quick results. When this doesn’t happen, there is a tendency to go on to the next “flavour of the month”. This ‘panacea phenomenon’ results in replacing one ineffective program with another equally ineffective one in the hope that something will provide a quick fix.15 Unfortunately, pressures from the media, from ideological climates or from politicians compound the strain. Let’s get started now The good news is that once teachers do use children’s rights curricula, they become increasingly positive and supportive about children’s rights education.16 Here are some comments from teachers who have participated in evaluations of children’s rights education: “The activities helped students gain an understanding of the connection between rights and responsibilities.” “The activities contributed to the development of more positive relationships among students.” “As they began to understand diversity and realize that everyone is equal, students became more accepting of others. This led to a decrease in teasing and bullying.” “I have been teaching for seven years, using the same ways of teaching, but I have never had them so cooperative.”

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Children’s rights education is not a panacea that will cure all classroom ills. But, it will result in a more positive classroom environment and what teacher or student doesn’t prefer that? Through focused professional development opportunities, teachers can learn more from specialists and from experienced teachers about the value of children’s rights education. It will be important to provide self-contained children’s rights curricula that offer a choice of activities that are easy to use, fit readily with children’s developmental levels, and existing teaching responsibilities.17 The Convention represents a global consensus on what childhood should be. Its rightsbased values are applicable across time, place, and religion. By adopting a carefully planned and proven approach to teaching children’s rights we can ensure that our children grow up feeling respected, secure and safe in the knowledge that they have their own set of rights. To be effective, children’s rights education must be systematically adopted and appropriately taught. It has the potential to improve our children’s lives, our schools and our society. There is no question that it is well worth the time it takes. Wouldn’t you be delighted to hear a child say this at the end of the day? “We learned how to become better citizens and understand each other.” 18 Grade 8 student, Nova Scotia

Author Bio Katherine Covell, PhD. is professor of psychology and executive director of the Children’s Rights Centre at the University College of Cape Breton. Her teaching and research center on children’s rights as articulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. She has published widely on public policy related children’s rights issues including the acclaimed co-authored 2001 book The Challenge of Children’s Rights for Canada, and forthcoming book, Empowering Children: Children’s Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship. Katherine is also well known for her advocacy work. She represented the Canadian NGO community at the UN Special Session on Children held in New York in 2002, and reported Canada’s progress to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, 2003. Contact the Author: [email protected]

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Resources A Canada Fit for Children http://www11.sdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/socpol/publications/2002-002483/page00.shtml Canadian Child Care Federation http://www.cccf-fcsge.ca/ Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children http://www.rightsofchildren.ca/ Children’s Rights Centre, University College of Cape Breton http://discovery.uccb.ns.ca/children/ Children’s Rights and Global Citizenship Curricula (Grades 6, 8, or 12) (available for downloading in French or English, or request hardcopies from the author) http://discovery.uccb.ns.ca/children/more.php?id=11_0_1_0_C Defence for Children International http://www.defence-for-children.org/ Fact Sheets on "The Promises" www.cccf-fcsge.ca Free the Children http://www.freethechildren.org/ Health Canada National Child Day page http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dca-dea/ncd-jna/main_e.html Save the Children Canada http://www.savethechildren.ca/en/index.html Senator Landon Pearson http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/lpearson/index-e.html

References 1

Covell, K. and Howe, R.B. (1999). The impact of children’s rights education: A Canadian study. International Journal of Children’s Rights: 7, 171-183. 2 DeCoene, J., and De Cock, R. (1996). The children’s rights project in the primary school “De Vrijdagmarkt” in Bruges. In E. Verhellen (Ed.). Monitoring Children’s Rights. pp. 627-636The Hague: Kluwer Law. 3 Covell & Howe, 1999; 2001; Murray, E. (2002). Impact of children’s rights education on primary level children. Mount Royal College, Calgary: Alta. 4 Hughes, A., & Filer, H. (2003). The rights of the child. The impact of teaching a year 6 class. Knights Enham Junior School, Andover, England 5 Covell, K., O’Leary, J. L. &and Howe, R.B. (2002). Introducing a new Grade 8 curriculum in children’s rights. The Alberta Journal of Educational Research:. XLVIII (4), 302-313. 6 Covell and Howe, (1999). 7 Covell, K. (2001). Children’s Rights Education: A new reality for teachers. Education Canada:, 41 (2), 16-19 8 Howe, R.B. and Covell, K. (2004 in press). Empowering Children: Children’s Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 9 Covell, K. and Howe, R.B. (2001). Moral education through the 3Rs: rights, respect and responsibility. Journal of Moral Education:. 30 (1), 29-41. 10 Children’s Rights Education Curricula is available in French or English from our website (http://discovery.uccb.ns.ca/children/), or request hardcopies from the author.

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Howe and Covell, (2004). Covell, O’Leary and Howe (2002), Howe & Covell (2004), Sitch, G. & McCoubrey, S. (2001). Stay in you seat: The impact of judicial subordination of students’ rights on effective rights education. Education and Law Journal: 173-202. 13 Howe and Covell, (2004). 14 Benavot, A. (2002). A critical analysis of comparative research. Prospect,: XXX11 (1), 51-73; Sutherland, M. (2002). Educating citizens in Europe: Conflicting trends. European Education: 34 (3), 77-97. 15 Petrosino, A., Turpin-Petrosino, C. and Finckenauer, J.O. (2000). Well meaning programs can have harmful effects. Crime and Delinquency: 46 (3), 354-371 16 Covell, O’Leary and Howe (2002). 17 Levine, H. (2001). Book Review: Children’s Rights Education Curriculum Resource. International Journal of Children’s Rights:. 8, 391-394 18 Howe and Covell, (2004). 12