DERC Seminar: Assessing the impacts of rights-based approaches in schools

aking part in the UK Committee for Unicef’s (UNICEF UK) Rights Respecting Schools Award requires schools to use the Convention on the Rights of the Child to teach pupils about their rights and how these apply in terms of their own lives. It is the best known, and certainly the biggest initiative promoting rights-based approaches in UK schools, with over 5000 schools involved.

This seminar looks at RRSA in detail, specifically addressing the question of how to measure the impact and value of such approaches, but will also include broader discussion about rights-based education and examine the linkages with global education and citizenship education.

Frances Bestley and Sarah Hamilton (UNICEF UK) will give an initial introduction to the RRSA, covering the aims, processes and levels of the award. The main focus, however, will be on how the impact of achieving the award is measured, with a look at analysis of questionnaire data from children and adults in schools, headteachers’ self-evaluation, feedback from visits to schools and information from school inspection reports.

Hugh Starkey (UCL Institute of Education) will then provide a response and commentary on the initiative, drawing on his expertise in Citizenship and Human Rights Education.