This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Towards the Recognition of
Non-discrimination Principles at School
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Case Studies
60 case studies identified through Europe focusing on intercultural issues, integration, non-discrimination values and human rights at school
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Best Practices
12 best practices have been identified throughout Europe on intercultural competences and human rights at school
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Reports
6 reports presenting the main findings related to the survey on human rights and intercultural issues carried out in the partners' countries
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Factual Background
Guidelines on the challenges encountered by secondary school teachers in managing multicultural classes
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Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Guidelines on improving teachers’ skills in dealing with multicultural environments
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Teachers for an Inclusive School
Guidelines on the acquisition of intercultural competences based on understanding human rights and non-discrimination values
Global Citizenship Education Multiculturalism and Social Inclusion in Europe
The publication focuses on the Integration of Immigrant Students at School.Events
The I Have Rights project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
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Conferences
The I Have Rights project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
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Training Activity
The training activity 'Expert in Multicultural School Environment' was organised in Siena (IT)
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Press Review
The I Have Rights project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of education
Partnership
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of the I Have Rights project.
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Schools
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the schools involved in the I Have Rights Project in the 6 European countries involved.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
This section of the I Have Rights portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Homepage > Guideline > Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Improving teachers’ skills in dealing with multicultural environments.
Responsibilities of Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Chapter 2 – Knowledge as the first step for Intercultural Competences
2.3 The Right to be heard in Class
The child’s right to be heard is enshrined in article 12 (right to participation) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC,1989), whose paragraph 1 entitles the child to express her/his views and paragraph 2 enshrines the child’s right to be heard. There has been a major development on the child’s right to participation and to be heard with the entrance into force of the Optional Protocol to the CRC on a Communications Procedure (2014) which establishes, within the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, an international complaints procedure for child rights violations, enabling the child or her/his legal representative to complain about a violation by a State party, of any of the rights set forth in the CRC or its optional protocols.
The child’s right to be heard sets the obligation on several actors, namely, States and civil society, to listen to the child’s views. Listening to the child is extremely important as her/his participation will contribute to her/his personal development, to better decision-making and outcomes, to protect the child better, to civil society development, tolerance and respect for others, as well as to strengthen accountability. (V. Resource Guide on the UN Committee on the rights of the child general comment no. 12., Unicef/Save the Children. 2009)
According to General Comment 12 and the above referred Guide, measures should be taken in order to implement the child’s right to be heard in several settings, namely, in the family, in alternative care, in health care, in play, recreation, sport and cultural activities, in the media, in situations of violence, and in education. In this particular case, children should be given the chance to be involved in individual decisions affecting their educational path and in education policies. Besides, the development of a participatory child-centred learning, of democratic school environments and of national students’ organisations should be encouraged. Child’s participation may be stimulated by consultative, collaborative and child-led techniques within a child-friendly environment and with the support of working methods founded on certain principles like transparency, inclusiveness, ethics, respectfulness, safeness and accountability. This methodology may require some specific training for all stakeholders.
The child’s right to be heard sets the obligation on several actors, namely, States and civil society, to listen to the child’s views. Listening to the child is extremely important as her/his participation will contribute to her/his personal development, to better decision-making and outcomes, to protect the child better, to civil society development, tolerance and respect for others, as well as to strengthen accountability. (V. Resource Guide on the UN Committee on the rights of the child general comment no. 12., Unicef/Save the Children. 2009)
According to General Comment 12 and the above referred Guide, measures should be taken in order to implement the child’s right to be heard in several settings, namely, in the family, in alternative care, in health care, in play, recreation, sport and cultural activities, in the media, in situations of violence, and in education. In this particular case, children should be given the chance to be involved in individual decisions affecting their educational path and in education policies. Besides, the development of a participatory child-centred learning, of democratic school environments and of national students’ organisations should be encouraged. Child’s participation may be stimulated by consultative, collaborative and child-led techniques within a child-friendly environment and with the support of working methods founded on certain principles like transparency, inclusiveness, ethics, respectfulness, safeness and accountability. This methodology may require some specific training for all stakeholders.
Online Resources
- Every Child’s Right to be Heard: a resource guide on the UN Committee on the rights of the child general comment no. 12. , Unicef/Save the Children. 2011According to the author, Gerison Lansdown, this resource guide is based on and elaborates the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 12, ‘The Right of the Child to be heard’.
- General Comment no. 12, The Right of the Child to be Heard. 2009This general comment has been elaborated by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and presented at its 51st session, in Geneva, 25 may-12 june, 2009. The “overall objective of the general comment is to support States parties in the effective implementation of article 12”, by explaining in detail its legal scope and meaning as well as its implications to several actors, namely, States and civil society.
- Understanding Human Rights: manual on human rights education. 2012The manual consists of a general introduction into the basics of human rights. This chapter on the Human Rights of the Child includes considerations on the child’s right to participation, additional resources, methodological hints, useful information, references to further reading and on-line resources.
- European Union Study on Child Participation. 2015This is a study carried out in 2015, by the European Commission, which includes an outline of legislation, policy and practice on child participation in all 28 EU Member States.
- Recommendation CM/Rec (2012)2 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18This recommendation sets out a pragmatic approach for the implementation of article 12 of CRC.
- The Right Of Children To Be Heard: Children’s Right To Have Their Views Taken Into Account And To Participate In Legal And Administrative Proceedings. 2009Abstract: This paper addresses the right of children to be heard in any judicial or administrative proceeding affecting them. It introduces the subject based on examples from the laws and practices of 52 countries around the world. This paper is addressed primarily to child rights advocates, researchers, legal practitioners and other professionals working in the area of children and the law.
- Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.Unicef official website containing several information and working materials on the rights of the child, including on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the child’s right to be heard.
- Child Participation BibliographyThis document published at the European Commission Website lists a relevant number of bibliography on child’s participation.
