rights respecting schools:

Rights Respecting Schools:Workshop Series

Workshop 5

Leadership for a Rights Respecting School

Five-Minute Reflection

INSTRUCTIONS

Jot your responses on your handout.

For successful leadership of a Rights Respecting School…

Who needs to be on board? (on the basket)

What will really make it fly (or grow)?

(above the balloon)

What do the people on board need to get it

off the ground? (on the balloon)

What is holding it back? (on the ropes)


AGENDA

• Activity 1: Introduction and Five-Minute Reflection

• Activity 2: Mediating Conflict Between Rights in Schools

• Activity 3: Children’s Rights-Friendly School Policies

• Activity 4: Good Practices for Building Leadership at a Rights Respecting School

Leadership at a Rights Respecting School

What does leadership at a Rights Respecting School look like?


Administrators are committed to promoting respect for children’s rights. Children’s rights are used as a lens for policies, program choices, program implementation, and other decision-making.

Leadership

Leadership Benchmarks

Benchmark 18

The school has a mission statement, charter and code ofconduct that reflect the principles of the Convention.


Benchmark 19

The school reviews its policies and procedures, and ensures that they reflect the principles and rights articulate in the Convention.


Benchmark 20

Conflicts between students, and between students and adults, areresolved with rights-consistentdecisions and policies.


Benchmark 21

School staff are recruited and inducted to be able to support and advance progress as a rights respecting school.


Benchmark 22

School community stakeholders have opportunities to improve their knowledge and understanding of the Convention, its relevance to the school, and its relation to local, national and global issues.


Benchmark 23

The school takes active and regular measures to assess its progress as a rights respecting school.





(above the balloon)








(above the balloon)




What might blow it offcourse? (on the side)


The ultimate goal of leadership for a Rights

Respecting School is to protect and uphold

children’s rights for all children.

Best Interests of the Child

Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states:

“In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare

institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the

child shall be a primary consideration.”


In the Best Interests of the Child Not in the Best Interests of the Child


In the Best Interests of the Child Not in the Best Interests of the Child

To receive an education (Article 28)

To have family relations (Article 8)

To know and be cared for by parents (Article 7)

To be heard in matters concerning her/him (Article 12)

To play and to rest (Article 31)

To be exposed to any form of violence (Article 19)

To be wrongly separated from parents/family (Article 9)

To perform any work that is hazardous or harmful (Article 32)

To be exploited or abused (Articles 33-36)

Tensions Between Rights

Groups Example ConflictInterests of one child and interests of peers

Schools and school board

Teachers’ union and school boards

Minority groups and the school, board or ministry

Tensions Between Rights

Group Example ConflictInterests of one child and interests of peers

A student identified as a ‘bully’ could be expelled (losing his/her right to education) while his/her peers continue to be at risk (losing protection from harm)

Schools and school board Schools allocate resources on a per capita basis and certain schools have higher needs

Teachers’ union and school boards

Teachers go on strike for better teaching resources to improve students’ quality of education, but while on strike, student lose their right to education

Minority groups and the school, board or ministry

Zero-tolerance school safety policies implemented by school boards, which arguably discriminate against disenfranchised youth

Views of the Child

Article 12 of the Convention says that:

“States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the

right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them, the views of the child being

given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.”

Views of the Child

• Children 16 years and older, are normally assumed to be sufficiently mature to make decisions.

• Children between 14 and 16 years are presumed to be mature enough to make a major contribution.

• Children between nine and 14 years can meaningfully participate in the decision-making procedure, but their maturity must be carefully assessed on an individual basis. Younger children may require assistance.

• Children younger than nine years have the right to give their opinion and be heard.

Scenario

• Read the scenario with your group

• Determine one or two possible resolutions by considering the best interests and the views of the child.

Restorative Conflict Resolution

What is Restorative Practice?• Practices that enable people to restore and rebuild

relationships after conflict, disagreement and harm

• Whereby persons of authority (in schools – staff, teachers, parent volunteers) do things with students rather than to or for them

• Allows students to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes that affect them – exercising Article 12

Restorative Practices in Schools

Restorative practices can take the form of By In response to

Restorative EnquiryThe starting point for restorative practices

Peer mentors,Teachers

Minor student worries,Classroom disruptions

Restorative DiscussionUsed in challenging situations

All members of the classroom community

Disruption,Inter-personal conflict,Challenging situations

MediationUsed when both parties believe the other is the problem

Peer mediators,Teachers

Student conflict,Staff–student conflict

Circles or ForumsUseful for solving problems that involve a group of people

Members of classroom community,Class groups

Class issues/harm within class,Problems affecting students

Five Questions to Rebuild Relationships

Restorative practices are centred on five questions:

• What happened?

• What were you thinking at the time?

• Who was affected and how were their rights impacted?

• What can you do to help those who were affected?

• How can everyone better respect the rights of others in the future?

Forum Circle

The Forum: Conflict Resolution in a Circle

creducation.org/cre/homebase/content_video/2397/

How Restorative is Your School?

Read over the handout as a group. Then discuss:

• Which practices on the continuum do you feel are most representative of the general approach to conflict at your school?

• What about your own practice? Which approaches do you use often?

• What would you change about your own practice? About the approach to conflict your school advocates?

Children’s Rights-Friendly School Policies

Best interest of the Child

Views of the Child

Access to information

Transparency and participation

Prioritize empowerment

Positive effects maximized

Negative effects minimized

TOPIC 1

Children’s Rights Compliance Test

Instructions

1. Determine which of articles are impacted by the school policy.

2. Discuss the questions on theChildren’s Rights ComplianceTest and take notes in the spaces provided.

RRS Action Plan: Our Roadmap

What is being done?What do we need to do next?

CRT completes RRS Action Plan

Our school has a roadmap for our future

Good Practices for Teaching and Learning through a Rights Lens

Work together asa group to determine which strategies wouldwork best to meet your assigned benchmark.

Create this 3-columned chart

Strategy Resources TimelineActivities the school will

undertake.People resource, budget and

materials needed to undertake activities.

Timing of year, duration of time needed to accomplish the

activities.

Take Away Resource – For Staff / Students

Restorative Conflict Resolution

Describes restorative practices for democratic conflict resolutionprocesses for use in schools

and classrooms.

Available for download onDropbox – ‘Tools for RRS Schools’

Take Away Resource – For Staff / Parents

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

Siblings Without Rivalry

How to Talk So Kids Can Learn

By Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

Improve relationships athome and at school

Congratulations!

Congratulations on completing the Rights Respecting School Workshop Series!

Congratulations!

Contact info:

rights respecting schools:

Documents

rights respecting schoolwhat

building leadership

successful leadership

handout fiveminute reflection

schools activity

reflection activity

rrs schools

rrs workshop series