UNICEF/Aliaga Ticona A RT I C L E O F T H E W E E K

UNICEF/Aliaga Ticona A RT I C L E O F T H E W E E K

INSTRUCTIONS This flexible resource is intended to provide you with some easy to use, appropriate rights-related learning to share with your children, their families and your colleagues. Please edit out non-relevant slides or tasks before sharing with students. Please check the content works for your learners and feel free to add any content that would make the material more relevant to your setting. Slide 3 – Guess the articles Slide 4 – Introducing Pupil Voice Slide 5 – Exploring Pupil Voice Question Slide 6 – Exploring Pupil Voice Answers Slides 7&8 – Primary Activities Slides 9&10 – Secondary Activities Slide 11 – Reflection

GU ESS THE A RTI CL ES These pictures provide a clue to this week’s articles. How do these pictures help you? Can you guess how they are linked together? Write down your thoughts or discuss with someone in your house. Unicef/Dejongh Unicef/Farhana Satu UNICEF/UN0411243

INTRODUCING PUPIL VOICE Pupils from a Gold Rights Respecting School in Glasgow introduce Articles 12 & 13 This week we’re talking about pupil voice and democracy, linked to Articles 12 and 13. Pupils from a Gold Rights Respecting school in Glasgow tell us about how children’s participation has made a difference in their school. Article 12 – Respect for the views of the child Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life. Article 13 – Freedom of expression Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions and to access all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law. Click here to watch on YouTube

EXPLORING PUPIL VOICE Why do you think it’s important that you are able to participate at school? Why should you be able to share your views and opinions? UNICEF/Aliaga Ticona

HOW MANY OF THESE DID YOU GET? Being involved in decisions makes you feel like a part of it, you have ownership. Relationships between children and adults improve when there’s communication. School is there to help children to learn, so it is important to put children at the centre. Pupils have some great ideas that adults might never think of. It helps to prepare you for adulthood. Children and young people feel valued. Involving young people means there are more people to make a difference. We all have different views and experiences, so including everyone means we get lots of perspectives. It can help you to learn about politics and democracy. It is your right to be involved in decisions which affect you! What else did you think of?

PRIMARY ACTIVITIES You do not need to complete every activity but if you have time you can try to complete more than one. What do the words ‘opinion’ and ‘viewpoint’ mean? Listen to this story Everyone Gets A Say, then discuss with your class why it’s important to listen to a lot of people’s ideas. Discuss as a class how your teachers listen to your opinions in different ways every day. Watch this video clip of a pupil council mee ting where they’re talking about homework. Is it the same or different from meetings in your school? What advice would you give to your class representatives? What can teachers do to make it easier for you to share your views? Draw a picture of a teacher and around them write all your ideas about how they can respect your right to be heard.

PRIMARY ACTIVITIES 2 You do not need to complete every activity but if you have time you can try to complete more than one. Imagine the Prime Minister (or First Minister) arrived at your school, what would you tell or show them to persuade them that your school respects your right to be heard? This old Newsround article talks about what makes a good pupil council. Use their checklist of the important things and see whether your pupil council passes the test! You might want to then speak to your headteacher about how you can make your pupil council even better. You’ve probably heard the word Parliament, but do you know what it is? Well, it works a bit like a school council, but for the whole of the UK! This video explains what it does and why it’s important. Make a poster to highlight the important facts you learnt. Work together to create a news report of the things your pupil council has done recently. Perhaps you could create a podcast or video and share it with the school community?

SECONDARY ACTIVITIES You do not need to complete every activity but if you have time you can try to complete more than one. How would you define the words ‘viewpoint’, ‘opinion’, ‘representative’ and ‘democracy’? Look them up to check and then discuss with your class how this information relates to articles 12 and 13. You may have seen young poet and activist Amanda Gorman perform her poem The Hill We Climb at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden. In this video, she explains how poetry is her way of expressing her views and opinions. How do you express yourself? Write a poem, draw a picture, compose a song or find another way to share how you feel. Being a representative is an important and sometimes difficult job, whether you’re a school councillor or a Member of Parliament – try out this game to experience a week in the life of an MP. What do you know about your pupil council? Who’s part of it, what do they talk about, what has it achieved? Create a promotional poster or video to raise awareness.

SECONDARY ACTIVITIES 2 You do not need to complete every activity but if you have time you can try to complete more than one. What do you think the top priorities should be to improve your school? Can you work together to agree these as a class and share them with your council representative or the Headteacher? Using a top news story on the BBC website as inspiration, run a class debate one of the issues reported. How will you be sure to include a range of opinions? Not all laws in the UK are made at Westminster, a process known as devolution means Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also make laws of their own. Watch this short video outlining the powers of the Sened d and then write about the advantages and disadvantages of devolution. You might want to use some examples, such as how each Even if you’re too young to vote, there are people elected to represent you, including Councillors and MPs. Find details of one of your representatives and write to them sharing your views on an important issue.

REFLECTION Watch this short story (it may seem to be aimed at younger children but there is a message for everyone!) Then think about these questions. What ideas do you have to make things better? In your life? At home? At school? Do you think it’s important to listen to get ideas from lots of different people? How can your school encourage people to share their ideas and show that they’re listening?

MORE INFO RRSA WEBSITE For more information or to download previous Article of the Week packs please visit the RRSA website by clicking the link below CLICK HERE