Teaching young ones their rights improves classroom manners – study

Teaching children about their rights can improve behaviour in the classroom, research published yesterday suggests.

It can also improve pupil-teacher relationships, reduce bullying and boost attainment, according to a study commissioned by Unicef.

The study evaluated the impact of Unicef UK’s Rights Respecting School Award, in which everyone in a school learns that children and young people have rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Pupils are taught to distinguish between their wants, needs and rights, and that with rights come responsibilities. Working with teachers, they develop classroom and school charters on how to act within school.

The study, by the universities of Sussex and Brighton, looked at 31 schools that had taken part in the award.

The findings showed that the educational attainment of pupils in two-thirds of the schools rose between 2007-10, while suspensions fell in 13 and stabilised in a further three.

It says: “Pupils and staff saw the RRSA as contributing to their learning, for example, through the reductions in disruptions in lessons that reflect pupils’ increased understanding of their right to learn and their responsibility to others to ensure they do not prevent them from doing so.”

The study does note that fluctuations are typically seen in test results and measures for attendance and exclusions, so the overall trends are unclear. Researchers also concluded that bullying was reported to have “significantly” reduced in all 31 schools after the RRSA was introduced, with staff and pupils in most of those examined claiming it was “extremely rare”.

The study adds: “All 31 schools were characterised by very positive relationships between pupils, between staff, and between staff and pupils. Staff and pupils also reported experiencing a strong sense of ‘belonging’ to the school.

“Relationships and behaviour were considered to have improved as a result of better understanding by pupils and staff of rights, responsibilities and respect. There was little or no shouting and both pupils and staff reported incidents of bullying to be minimal and that pupils were more likely to resolve conflicts for themselves.”

Anita Tiessen, deputy executive director of Unicef UK, said: “It is wrong that all children in the UK don’t learn about their rights – today’s evaluation report shows what a profound effect it can have not only on children, but teachers, school leaders, governors and parents.”