Mainstreaming Child Rights in Schools

Introduction

What began as a modest pilot project to introduce child rights into two schools in Kandal province has blossomed into an ambitious child rights education program that now encompasses 53 schools. In the classroom, we strive to help educators raise awareness of an ever-expanding list of child rights-related topics. Children are learning about a wide assortment of issues that are essential to their well-being, including the four baskets of child rights—the right to survival, the right to protection, the right to development, the right to participation; and positive discipline in schools.

Objective

To mainstream the concepts and practice of child rights , positive discipline in schools and child participation (CR, PDS, CP) in to 53 target schools.

How we work

We work in close partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, particularly Teacher Training Department, Primary Education, Secondary Education and Youth Departments to help schools spread awareness of child rights and related concepts.

We provide information, education and communication materials such as posters, leaflets, game books and training manuals, which are developed with input from stakeholders and regularly revised and reprinted so they are certain to contain only the best teaching methodologies, techniques and practices. We also train in-service teachers and provide workshops that are designed to help educators hone their facilitation skills and use our training manuals effectively.

Children in our target schools receive training on child rights at the beginning of each school year, followed by at least an hour of child rights instruction per 2 months. Activities are developed to make learning about child rights, fun for children and include games, interactive quizzes, drawing, poetry, drama, songs and contests.

We've established Project Steering Committees (PSCs) made up of key officials from Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport—the Secretary of State of MoEYS, Directors of the Youth Department, Primary Education Department, Secondary Education Department, Research Pedagogy Department as well as the Director of the Teaching Training Department—to work with us to oversee and coordinate UNCRC mainstreaming activities at the ministerial level.

We've also set up Provincial Working Groups (PWGs) in our target provinces, which are chaired by the Director and Deputy Directors of PDoEYS and key officials in charge of Youth Affairs, to streamline the implementation of our school programs. These groups meet regularly to evaluate the progress of child rights mainstreaming activities, identify gaps in programs and brainstorm improvements. Along with school management teams, these groups eventually will be tasked with taking over these activities from Child Rights Foundation, thereby ensuring their long-term sustainability

Schools and teachers who are deemed to be doing an exemplary job of mainstreaming child rights in their schools are honored as part of an awards program that was launched by the PSCs and PWGs.

Where we work

This project has been implemented in 53 target schools in two districts—Dambae in Kampong Cham and Angkor Chum in Siem Reap. The project benefits 381 teachers and 19,927 students.

Changing Mindsets and Behavior

• In-service teachers who received training in CR and CP are eager to improve their teaching skill and provide more opportunities for students to express their curiosity and personal opinions by asking questions, conferring in small groups and speaking out when they disagree with the classroom conduct of their teachers.
• 70% of in-service teachers interviewed stated that they encourage CP in class by encouraging questions and answers and endeavoring to create a child-friendly atmosphere in class.
• Teachers in target schools make their classroom more child-friendly through recreational activities, decorations, and displaying student drawings and poems as a reward. Teachers manage to entertain their students with games and telling funny stories to encourage CP in class.
• Students talk a great deal of initiative in learning and practicing their rights. When asked how they practice CR once they are aware of them, 55-79% said they tell their parents, brothers/sisters and peers about CR. About 16% of children spread the CR message to community members.
• Teachers say CRF programs are changing student behavior: 85% of teachers interviewed believe children respect each other more after learning about CR, 70% say violence in the schoolyard has decreased and 12% say some students protest about the use of unfair punishment practices in their class.