The Right to Education: children and young

people’s experience of education in Northern

Ireland

Findings from the 2014 Kids’ Life and Times and Young Life and Times Surveys

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Contents

Introduction 3

Results

NICCY questions KLT and YLT comparison NICCY (KLT) findings by gender, school type and free school

meal entitlement NICCY (YLT) findings by gender, school type and perception of

family financial circumstances Additional KLT questions: happiness at school, bullying and

wellbeing Additional YLT questions: CRED

6

610

10

11

12

Discussion

Personality, talents and abilities; Life skills Respect for human rights Understanding and tolerance Respect for equality of the sexes. Feeling valued Feeling empowered in school

13

13131415161617

Conclusion 19

References 20

Appendices 21

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1. Introduction

‘Children do not lose their human rights by virtue of passing through the school gates.’ (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2001, para. 8)

In 2014, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) commissioned ARK, a joint initiative between Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster1, to include two modules of questions relating to pupils’ attitudes to, and experiences of, education in its annual surveys. ARK conducts annual surveys of P7-age pupils (10/11 years) through the Kids’ Life and Times2 (KLT) survey and 16 year olds through the Young Life and Times3 (YLT) survey. Children and young people are invited to share their experiences of school and to feedback their views on a range of matters which may affect them. Surveys over the past number of years have addressed various themes including bullying, children’s rights and the transfer tests (KLT) and identity, politics and sexual health (YLT).

1.1 The aims of education: Article 29 of the UNCRC

The questions commissioned by NICCY focused on the aims of education; in particular children and young people’s attitudes towards, and experience of, education. They were therefore guided by the principles of Article 29(1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (see Figure 1 for full text), but also related to Article 28 (the right to access education). The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (hereafter, the Committee) recognises the relationship between these two articles as noted below:

Article 29 (1) not only adds to the right to education recognized in article 28 a qualitative dimension which reflects the rights and inherent dignity of the child; it also insists upon the need for education to be child-centred, child-friendly and empowering, and it highlights the need for educational processes to be based upon the very principles it enunciates. (UN, 2001 para. 2)

The Committee, in interpreting Article 29(1), draws attention to a number of key themes underpinning it which are pertinent to this study. First, the Committee has recognised that ‘education is not merely a matter of access but also of content’ (UN, 2001, para. 3). Secondly, the Committee has stated that the goal of education should be not only to develop the child’s skills, learning and other capacities but also her or his self-esteem and self-confidence. Thirdly, the Committee has noted that no child should leave school ‘without being equipped to face the challenges that he or she can expect to be confronted with in life’ (UN, 2001 para 9). This requires an emphasis not only on literacy and numeracy but also life skills such as ‘the ability to make well-balanced decisions; to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner; and to develop a healthy lifestyle, good social relationships and responsibility, critical thinking, creative talents, and other abilities which give children the tools needed to pursue their options in life’ (UN, 2001, para 9).

1 http://www.ark.ac.uk/2 http://www.ark.ac.uk/klt/3 http://www.ark.ac.uk/ylt/

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Figure 1: Article 29(1) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

(a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;(c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;(e) The development of respect for the natural environment.

1.2 Developing the questions

The themes outlined above, along with the text of Article 29(1), are evident in the questions which were included in KLT and YLT surveys. The questions were devised by NICCY in partnership with members of the ARK team. The questions explored: children and young people’s knowledge of the UNCRC and NICCY; the extent to which the things they learned at school had helped them in a range of aspects of their lives, such as making decisions, resolving conflict, developing their talents and abilities and maintaining healthy relationships etc; how important they felt in school; gender equality in school; how school supported acceptance of other cultures; and religious education. Full text of questions can be found in Appendix 1 (KLT) and 2 (YLT). The module of questions was very similar in both surveys in order to facilitate comparisons between the different age groups of respondents. However, there were slight differences in the wording of some of the questions which reflect this age difference. Questions in both surveys were piloted with children and young people prior to the main fieldwork taking place.

1.3 Survey responses

The KLT survey is available online and children access and complete this in school. In 2014, 4,805 pupils (51% girls; 49% boys) completed the survey. The YLT survey can be completed using one of three methods: an online questionnaire, a paper questionnaire or on the telephone. In 2014, 905 16 year olds (57% girls; 43% boys) completed the NICCY module on the YLT survey. Findings from both surveys are presented in this report.

1.4 Additional questions

It was noted that other questions on both KLT and YLT in 2014 aligned with the content of Article 29(1) and/or the themes identified above. The questions on KLT related to happiness at school, bullying and the child’s self-reported wellbeing. Questions on YLT relating to implementation of the ‘Community Relations, Equality and Diversity’ (CRED) policy in schools were also seen to be relevant to this study. Analyses of these questions are therefore included in this report in order to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of children and young people’s experience of education.

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1.5 Analysis

In accordance with rights-based principles, data were disaggregated, as appropriate, on the basis of demographics collected. Comparisons across the two age groups represented in KLT and YLT can be made in terms of descriptive statistics, but statistical tests (such as statistical significance and effect size) cannot be used between two different data sets. Comparisons using statistical tests have been used to analyse findings within each data set: in relation to gender, school type and percentage of children in the school entitled to free school meals (FSME) for KLT; and gender, school type and young people’s perceptions of their family financial circumstances for YLT.

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2. Results

This section outlines the findings from an analysis of questions relevant to the right to education from the 2014 KLT and YLT surveys. These include:

comparison of the results from KLT and YLT for the NICCY commissioned questions; analysis of the NICCY questions in KLT by gender, school type and percentage of

children in the school entitled to free school meals (FSME); analysis of the NICCY questions in YLT by gender, school type and young people’s

perceptions of their family financial circumstances; analysis of the questions in KLT relating to happiness at school, bullying and

wellbeing; analysis of the questions in YLT relating to implementation of the CRED policy.

Salient findings are then discussed in the light of the principles underpinning Article 29(1), in the following section of the report.

2.1 Comparison of KLT and YLT results for NICCY Questions

As noted above, the NICCY questions in both surveys explored: the extent to which children and young people felt the things they learned at school had helped them in a range of aspects of their lives, such as: making decisions, resolving conflict, developing their talents and abilities, maintaining healthy relationships, developing critical thinking and encouraging creative talents; their knowledge of the CRC and NICCY; how valued they felt in school; gender equality; how school developed respect for other cultures; and religious education. The results for these are outlined in turn below.

2.1.1 What I learn at school

Respondents to the surveys were asked whether the things they learned at school had helped them in a range of aspects of their lives, such as making decisions, resolving conflict, developing their talents and abilities and maintaining healthy relationships. As noted above, the wording of some of the items differed across the two surveys to reflect the age difference between respondents. As Table 1 shows, the KLT respondents were more likely than their older YLT counterparts to strongly agree or agree that school helped them to develop their talents and abilities, sort out arguments without using violence, know how to be healthy, get on well with other people and do creative things like art and drama.

Table 1: The things I learn at school help me to….Strongly

agree/agree%

KLT%

YLT%

Develop my talents and abilities 86 80Make decisions 77 79Sort out arguments (resolve conflict*) without using violence 64 54Know how to be healthy (develop a healthy lifestyle*) 81 60Get on well with other people (maintain healthy relationships*) 80 63Learn how to think about things (develop critical thinking skills*) 79 82Do creative things like art, music, drama (encourage my creative talents*) 84 67* Wording in YLT

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When asked whether school had helped them deal with difficult or challenging things that had happened to them in their lives, around one third of children and young people said it had (KLT 30%; YLT (33%). Notably over a third said it had not (34% KLT; 40% YLT) and around a third did not know (KLT 37%; YLT, 27%)(see Table 2).

Table 2: Have some of the things you learn at school helped you to deal with difficult things that have happened to you (challenges that have happened in your life*)?

KLT%

YLT%

Yes 30 33No 34 40I don’t know 37 27Total 100 100* Wording in YLT

2.1.2 Knowledge of the UNCRC and the Northern Ireland Children’s Commissioner

In 2007, 25 percent of YLT respondents had heard of the UNCRC (Lloyd & Schubotz 2014) and by 2014 this figure had risen to 49 percent (Table 4). In contrast, the figure for KLT respondents is 28 percent which has remained unchanged since the question was last asked in the 2012 survey. Fewer children and young people said they knew about the Children’s Commissioner than the Convention (KLT 12% and YLT 16%).

Table 3: Have you heard of the UNCRC?KLT%

YLT%

Yes 28 49No 54 46I don’t know 19 5Total 100 100

Table 4: Have you heard of the Children’s Commissioner?KLT%

YLT%

Yes 12 16No 74 80I don’t know 14 4Total 100 100

2.1.3 Learning about children’s/young people’s rights

Despite being less likely than their older counterparts to say they have heard of the UNCRC, more KLT respondents said they had learned about children’s rights at school (72% and 58% respectively). Furthermore, they were also more likely to say that learning about their rights had helped them to speak up about their rights at school (Tables 5 and 6).

Table 5: Have you learned about children’s/young people’s rights at school?KLT%

YLT%

Yes 72 58No 16 36I don’t know 12 6Total 100 100

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Table 6: Has learning about your rights ever helped you to speak up about your rights at school?

KLT%

YLT%

Yes 59 41No 22 47I don’t know 19 13Total 100 100

2.1.4 Feeling valued at school

Respondents were asked whether they felt valued (YLT) or important (KLT) in their school and, as Table 7 shows, just over half of YLT respondents (56%) and 62 percent of KLT respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they did.

Table 7: Feel important in school Strongly

agree%

Agree

%

Neither agree nor disagree

%

Disagree

%

Strongly disagree

%

I don’t know

%I feel I am important in my school (KLT)

27 35 20 7 4 7

I feel that I am valued in my school (YLT)

18 38 23 13 6 2

2.1.5 Perceptions of gender equality in school

Overall, more KLT (50%) than YLT (43%) respondents thought that males and females were always treated equally in their school. Similar percentages of boys across the two surveys thought they always were (YLT 49% and KLT 47%). However, there were differences between the younger and older girls; more of the KLT (53%) than the YLT (39%) respondents thought there was always equal treatment (Table 8).

Table 8: Do you think males and females are treated equally in your school by gender?All%

KLT%

YLT%

KLT YLT Boys Girls Boys GirlsYes, always 50 43 47 53 49 39Yes, most of the time 39 41 39 39 38 43No, never 6 6 7 4 6 6I don’t know 5 10 7 4 7 12Total 100 100 100 100 100 100

Children and young people who thought there was equal treatment ‘most of the time’ or ‘never’ were asked a further three (KLT) or four (YLT) questions about where they felt the gender inequalities lay. As can be seen from Table 9, very few children or young people strongly agreed or agreed that boys are treated more fairly than girls with boys responding to the YLT survey least likely to agree with the statement (4%). There was a clear gender difference across both surveys when respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed that boys receive harsher punishments than girls. Many more boys than girls strongly agreed or agreed that boys do receive harsher punishments than girls. In contrast, female YLT respondents were most likely and female KLT respondents least likely to agree

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that there are differences between the after school activities offered to boys and girls. There was little gender difference in the opinions of YLT respondents in relation to whether there were differences in the subject choices offered to boys and girls in school (Table 9).

Table 9: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?Strongly agree/agree

%KLT YLT

Boys Girls Boys GirlsBoys are treated more fairly by teachers than girls

11 15 4 15

Boys receive harsher punishments than girls 56 33 67 40There are differences between the after school activities offered to boy and girls

51 49 50 66

There are differences in the subject options for boys and girls

N/A 16 18

2.1.6 Respect for others in school

As Table 10 shows, most children and young people thought their school encourages pupils to be respectful of each other and to understand and accept people from different cultures.

Table 10: My school encourages pupils to….Strongly agree/agree

%KLT YLT

be respectful of each other 89 91understand/accept people from different cultures

84 82

2.1.7 Religious Education in school

When asked whether they agreed or disagreed with three statements about the teaching of religion in their schools, KLT respondents were much more likely than their YLT counterparts to strongly agree or agree that religion is taught in a way that is important to their lives (75% and 52% respectively). In contrast, there was little difference in their belief that religious education was taught in a way that helped them think about things that affected their lives or that it helped them understand other world religions (Table 11).

Table 11: In my school, Religious Education is taught in a way that…Strongly agree/agree

%KLT%

YLT%

shows me how it is important to/in my life (is relevant to my life*) 75 52is useful in helping me think about things that affect me (affect me/young people’s lives today*)

58 60

helps me understand other world religions 66 66* Wording in YLT

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2.2 NICCY (KLT) findings by gender, school type and free school meal entitlement

All the NICCY questions on education were analysed by three variables – gender, school management type (controlled, catholic maintained and other) and percentage of children in the school entitled to free school meals (FSME). In relation to the questions relating to whether the things they learn at school help them to develop their talents, make decisions, sort out arguments without using violence, know how to be healthy, get on well with other people, learn how to think about things and do creative things, there were statistically significant differences across the groups in a small number of the variables; however, the effect sizes (which measure the ‘practical’ significance of the findings) were all less than 0.14 and therefore negligible. This was also the case for knowledge of the Children’s Commissioner, the UNCRC, whether children had heard about their rights in school and whether they felt valued in their schools.

In contrast (and as noted in the Section 2.1.5 above), there were gender differences in the questions relating to equality of treatment of boys and girls in primary schools. Overall, there was only a slight difference between boys and girls in relation to whether they thought there was ‘always’ equal treatment (47% for boys; 53% for girls) and the effect size was small (.094). However, of the children who thought there was not always equal treatment, more boys than girls disagreed that boys are treated more fairly by teachers than girls (62% and 50% respectively; effect size - .11). In addition, more boys (56%) than girls (33%) agreed with the statement that boys receive harsher punishments than girls (effect size - .23). The effect sizes are still, by convention, small.

There were also some statistically significant differences between the type of school children attend and their perceptions of the role of the school in teaching them about religious education. Children attending Catholic Maintained (86%) schools were more likely than their peers attending Controlled (65%) or Integrated (71%) schools to agree that religion was taught in a way that showed them how important it is in their lives (effect size .17) and was useful in their lives (66%, 52% and 53% respectively; effect size - .10). In contrast, children attending integrated schools (77%) were most likely to agree that religion was taught in a way that helped them understand other world religions (Catholic Maintained 72%; Controlled 59%; effect size - .11). Once again, these effect sizes are all small.

2.3 NICCY (YLT) findings by gender, school type and perception of family financial circumstances

All the questions on the right to education were analysed by three variables – gender, school type (Grammar, Secondary, Planned Integrated) and young people’s perceptions of their family financial circumstances (well off, average, not well off). Mirroring the results from KLT, there were no notable differences across groups in relation to whether the respondents thought that the things they learn at school help them to develop their talents, make decisions, resolve conflict without using violence, know how to develop a healthy lifestyle, maintain healthy relationships, develop critical thinking skills and encourage their creative talents. This was also the case for knowledge of the UNCRC and the Children’s Commissioner, whether children had heard about their rights in school and whether they felt valued in their school; the exception was that young people who felt that their family was not well off financially (42%) were less likely than their peers whose families were either average (58%) or well off (63%) to agree that they were valued in their school. However, whilst the difference was statistically significant the effect size was small (0.099).

4 By convention, effect sizes of .20 are considered very small; .50 moderate and .80 large.

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In contrast (and as noted in Section 2.1.5 above), there were gender differences in the questions relating to equality of treatment of boys and girls in schools. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference between boys and girls in relation to whether they thought there was ‘always’ equal treatment (49% for boys; 39% for girls) although the effect size was small (.11). Furthermore, of the young people who thought there was not always equal treatment, more boys than girls disagreed that boys are treated more fairly by teachers than girls (66% and 47% respectively; effect size - .23). In addition, more boys (73%) than girls (45%) agreed that boys receive harsher punishments than girls (effect size - .30) and more girls (75%) than boys (58%) agreed that there were gender differences in the after school activities offered (effect size - .20). These effect sizes are still, by convention, small.

There were also some statistically significant differences between the type of school respondents attend and their perceptions of the role of the school in teaching them about religious education. Young people attending Secondary schools (58%) were more likely than their peers attending Grammar (52%) or Planned Integrated (37%) schools to agree that religion was taught in a way that showed them how relevant it is in their lives (effect size .09) and was useful in their lives (64%, 63% and 52% respectively; effect size - .10). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference between school type and the belief that religion was taught in a way that helped young people understand other world religions.

2.4 Additional KLT questions: happiness at school, bullying and wellbeing

The children were asked whether they had been happy at their primary school and the majority (80%) said they had been ‘mostly happy’ (Table 12). Slightly more girls than boys said they were mostly happy but the effect size was small (0.075). As Table 13 shows, more children (32%) reported that they had been bullied in other ways (such as name calling) than physically bullied (22%) or bullied on the internet (13%). Overall, there was no notable gender, school management type or FSME difference in any of the three variables – happy at school, bullied or wellbeing. However, there were statistically significant differences between the wellbeing scores (measured by the KIDSCREEN-105) of children who said they were unhappy at school or who were bullied at school. Respondents who were mostly happy at school had a mean KIDSCREEN-10 score of 50.79, and therefore had better wellbeing, compared to those who were mostly unhappy at school (43.85) or who could not decide (44.48). This finding was statistically significant6 and represents a real, and concerning, difference between the children who were happy at school and those who were not.

Table 12: Looking back over the time that you were at this school, would you say you were mostly happy at this school or mostly unhappy?

All%

Boys%

Girls%

Mostly happy 80 78 83Mostly unhappy 5 6 4I can’t decide 15 17 14Total 100 100 100

Table 13: Bullying at school% saying a lot or a little

In last 2 months how often bullied physically 22In last 2 months how often bullied other ways (e.g. name calling) 32

Cyber bullying % saying yesEver been bullied by text or on the internet? 13

5 Higher scores represent better wellbeing.6 F=211.61, df=2, p<0.001

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Children who said they were bullied at school were much more likely to have poorer wellbeing than their peers who had not, particularly if they had been bullied ‘a lot’ (Table 14). There was also a statistically significant difference between the wellbeing of children who had been cyber-bullied and those who had not with the former having a lower mean score on the KIDSCREEN-10, and therefore poorer wellbeing, than the latter (45.77 and 50.42 respectively7).

Table 14: Wellbeing by Type and frequency of bullying at schoolMean score (KIDSCREEN-10)

Bullied ‘a lot’

Bullied ‘a little’

Not bullied at all

Physical bullying8 42.40 45.15 51.13Other types of bullying (name calling, excluded etc.)9

42.03 46.50 51.72

2.5 Additional YLT questions: community relations, equality and diversity

The young people were asked about their experience of CRED activities in school and in youth organisations. More young people (59%) indicated they had done CRED in school than in youth contexts (24%). Females were more likely to indicate having done CRED than males; and Catholics more likely than Protestants or those of no religion to have done CRED in school (Table 15).

Table 15: Have you ever done CRED in school or youth organisation?All%

Gender Religion of school

% ticking Male%

Female%

Catholic%

Protestant%

No religion%

School 59 54 62 62 54 59Youth organisation

24 20 27 23 26 20

7 t=11.73, df=4379, p<0.001)8 F=218.27, df=2, p<0.0019 F=275.24, df=2, p<0.001

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3. Discussion

This section discusses the results presented above in relation to the content of Article 29(1) and its underpinning principles (identified in Section 1.1) in order to shed some light on the extent to which children’s experiences of education in Northern Ireland align with the aims of education, as articulated in the UNCRC.

As such, the discussion explores children and young people’s perceptions of the extent to which school assists in developing their: personality, talents and abilities; life skills; respect for human rights; understanding and tolerance; and respect for equality of the sexes. The section concludes by discussing how children feel valued and empowered in school. This draws on some evidence relating to children and young people’s self-esteem and self-confidence in school, and the extent to which what they learn in school empowers them to deal with difficult issues and to speak out about their rights. Where statistically significant differences exist, these will be discussed.

Clearly as rights are interdependent, there will be connections between each of the subsections of this discussion. The conclusion (Section 4) will draw these overarching ideas together.

3.1 Personality, talents and abilities

The evidence suggests that the majority of children and young people are positive about the extent to which their school helps them develop their talents and abilities (see Section 2.1.1). However, it is notable that the respondents to YLT were less positive about the opportunities provided by school to encourage creative talents; 67% of YLT responded strongly agree/agree compared to 84% of KLT respondents.

This may be due to the way in which the curriculum is orientated at each key stage. For example, throughout primary school and in Key Stage 3 (age 11 to 14 years old), children follow a broad curriculum in which ‘The Arts’ is statutory learning area (Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order, 2007). Further, the statutory curriculum requires that young people in primary school and at Key Stage 3 have opportunities to develop ‘thinking skills and personal capabilities’ which include ‘being creative’ (Education (Other Skills) Order, 2007). At Key Stage 4 (age 14 to 16), the statutory curriculum does not include arts-related subjects, therefore only young people who have selected GCSEs or other qualifications in the arts, or are involved in arts-related extra-curricular activities, will be exposed to these creative subjects. Notably, ‘being creative’ is not included in the statutory skills framework for Key Stage 4 (Education (Other Skills) Order, 2007).

This could suggest that more needs to be done at Key Stage 4 to nurture the creativity of students, regardless of whether or not they are engaged in arts-related subjects.

3.2 Life skills

Article 29 (1)(d) of the CRC states that education should be directed towards ‘the preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society’. In interpreting this, the Committee has stated that ‘preparation’ should include helping children and young people to make well-balanced decisions, to develop a healthy lifestyle and to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner (UN, 2001).

In relation to making well-balanced decisions, children and young people were asked about the extent to which their school helped them to develop critical thinking and make decisions.

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As noted in Section 2.1.1, the majority of children (79%) and young people (82%) felt their school helped them to develop critical thinking skills. The majority of children (77%) and young people (79%) were also positive about the extent to which schools help them learn to make decisions. It could therefore be suggested that children and young people’s experience of education is positively aligned to this aspect of Article 29. However, it should be noted that the statutory curriculum promotes ‘critical thinking’ and ‘decision making’ through the skills framework (Education (Other Skills) Order, 2007) and as such this is a curricular entitlement of every child. Attention should therefore be drawn to the fact that a proportion of respondents to both surveys did not feel that what they learnt in schools helped them to develop these skills.

Respondents to YLT were less positive than respondents to KLT in relation to how learning in school helped them to develop a healthy lifestyle. While 81% of KLT respondents strongly agreed/agreed that school helped them in relation to knowing how to be healthy, only 60% of YLT respondents responded positively to this statement. Likewise only 63% of YLT respondents were positive in relation to how their learning helped them maintain healthy relationships, compared to 80% of KLT respondents. Given that Personal Development (which deals with themes of personal health and relationships) is a statutory component of the curriculum across all key stages, the results from YLT suggest that this aspect of Article 29 is not afforded due attention in the implementation of the post-primary curriculum. This may indicate that a low priority is given to this curricular area in the latter stages of compulsory education and/or that the way in which it is delivered is not relevant to young people’s needs.

Respondents to both surveys were less positive in relation to how learning in school helps them to resolve conflict non-violently. Just under two-thirds (64%) of children in KLT and just over half (54%) of the young people in YLT responded positively to this. Resolving conflict is explored as part of the statutory curriculum across all key stages: in Personal Development and Mutual Understanding in the primary curriculum; in both Personal Development and Local and Global Citizenship in the post-primary curriculum. This suggests that a greater focus on the skills of conflict resolution is required in the delivery of this aspect of the curriculum.

3.3 Respect for human rights

The ‘right to human rights education’ has been established through explicit references to it as a state obligation and implicit references to its intrinsic value in numerous human rights instruments (McEvoy and Lundy, 2007). However, while the target audience for human rights education in international human rights law is wide ranging, the UNCRC is more specific in its focus. As the Committee has noted, States should not only develop a comprehensive strategy for disseminating knowledge of the UNCRC throughout society but should also place emphasis on children acquiring knowledge of their rights through ‘incorporating learning about the Convention and human rights in general into the school curriculum at all stages’ (UN, 2001).

Given that children and young people have a right to learn about the UNCRC, it is salient that just over a quarter (28%) of KLT respondents and just under a half (49%) of YLT respondents had heard of the UNCRC (see Section 2.1.2). It is striking however that many more children and young people said they had learned about children’s rights at school (72% in KLT and 58% in YLT) (see Section 2.1.3). However, this may indicate that children are learning about ‘children’s rights’ without specific reference to the UNCRC, which calls in to question the extent to which children and young people are learning about their actual Convention rights. This ambiguity is however unsurprising. While the statutory curriculum (up to Key Stage 3) requires that children learn about ‘human rights principles’, knowledge of the UNCRC and its content is not mandatory but rather offered as one non-statutory option for

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exploring rights (Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order, 2007). Further, at Key Stage 4, no mention is made of the UNCRC in the statutory curriculum (Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order, 2007), nor is it mentioned in the (optional) GCSE ‘Learning for Life and Work’, which covers this aspects of the curriculum. Rather, the GCSE refers to selected articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The fact that even fewer children and young people said they knew about the Children’s Commissioner (KLT 12% and YLT 16%) is again salient. However, no reference is made to knowledge of the Children’s Commissioner in the statutory curriculum. At Key Stage 3 and 4 the statutory curriculum for Local and Global Citizenship makes some reference to children understanding the role of organisations/institutions in safeguarding rights but no specific reference is made to the role of the Children’s Commissioner. In the optional GCSE ‘Learning for Life and Work’ specific reference is only made to a range of NGOs (which change every three years) and to the Human Rights Commission and Police Ombudsman as ‘key democratic institutions’.

This evidence suggests that, if the aims of education are to be more fully realised for all children and young people, then a clearer focus is required in the curriculum on the nature and content of the UNCRC and the institutions that promote and protect children’s rights.

3.4 Understanding and tolerance

Article 29(1)(c) and (d) requires that the education of the child should be directed to, inter alia, the development of respect for ‘civilisations different from his or her own’ and ‘understanding, peace, tolerance ... and friendship among all peoples’. The Committee has highlighted the links between this and the struggle against racism, xenophobia and intolerance. It notes that racism ‘thrives where there is ignorance, unfounded fears of racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic or other forms of difference, the exploitation of prejudices, or the teaching or dissemination of distorted values’ (UN, 2001).

It is therefore noteworthy that most children and young people thought their school encouraged pupils to be respectful of each other (89% KLT; 91% YLT) and to understand and accept people from different cultures (84% KLT; 82%). Notably, the statutory curriculum places a significant emphasis on tolerance and understanding across all learning areas and also in dedicated curriculum areas (such as Personal Development and Mutual Understanding in the primary curriculum and in Learning for Life and Work in the post-primary curriculum). Notwithstanding the caveat noted above, that due attention should be paid to the fact that some children and young people did not respond positively to this question, the evidence suggests that this aspect of Article 29 is being addressed competently in schools.

In relation to the role played by religious education (RE) in developing an understanding of ‘others’ two thirds (66%) of KLT respondents and two thirds (66%) of YLT strongly agreed/agreed that RE helped them understand other world religions. Given that the study of world religions other than Christianity is only compulsory at Key Stage 3, this indicates that schools may be developing an awareness of ‘other religions’ beyond that which is required in the statutory core syllabus for RE.

Beyond the statutory curriculum, schools are obliged to develop a range of activities to promote understanding and tolerance under the ‘CRED’ (Community Relations, Equality and Diversity) policy/. More young people responding to YLT indicated they had participated in CRED activities in school (59%) than in youth contexts (24%). However, the low level of positive response to this question suggests that more needs to be done to ensure that young people are given greater opportunities to develop understanding of others outside the statutory curriculum.

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3.5 Respect for equality of sexes

Children and young people were asked a range of questions about equality of treatment of boys and girls in school. Overall, the majority of respondents were fairly positive in relation to equality. In relation to age of respondents, fewer YLT (43%) than KLT (50%) respondents thought that males and females were always treated equally in their school. In relation to gender of respondents, while there were similar percentages of boys across the two surveys who thought they always were treated equally, there were differences between the younger and older girls. More of the KLT female respondents (53%) than the YLT female respondents (39%) thought there was always equal treatment. In both KLT and YLT there these differences were statistically significant (but with a small effect size).

Two salient points emerged in relation to where respondents felt the gender inequalities lay. First, overall many more boys than girls felt that boys receive harsher punishments than girls. In relation to age: in KLT this difference was slight; in YLT the difference was statistically significant (with a relatively small effect size, see Sections 2.3 and 2.4). Secondly, older girls (YLT) were most likely and younger girls (KLT) were least likely to agree that there are differences between the after school activities offered to boys and girls. In relation to gender, in YLT this difference was statistically significant (with a relatively small effect size, see Section 2.4).

Taken together, these findings arguably suggest that perception of gender inequality in school becomes more pronounced as children get older, and that this perception is mediated to some extent by gender.

3.6 Feeling valued

As noted in Section 1.1, an underpinning principle of children’s experience of their right to education is that they should have a high level of self-esteem. While the NICCY questions did not ask directly about these issues, respondents were asked whether they felt valued (YLT) or important (KLT) in their school. This sheds some light on the extent to which schools may have an influence on children and young people’s self-esteem. Further, additional questions in KLT on happiness in school, wellbeing and bullying also give some insight into the extent to which children’s self esteem in nurtured in school.

The majority of children and young people were positive in relation to the extent to which they felt valued or important in school (63% strongly agree/agree in KLT; 56% in YLT). However a fifth of children in KLT and just under a quarter of young people in YLT neither agreed or disagreed that they felt important or valued and just over a tenth of children (KLT) and almost a fifth of young people (YLT) were negative in relation to this question. In YLT young people who felt that their family was not well off financially were less likely than their peers whose families were either average or well off to agree that they were valued in their school (the effect size was small however). The evidence suggests that more needs to be done in schools to ensure that all young people feel valued and important.

In relation to younger children additional questions on happiness at school and bullying shed some light on children’s experience of schooling. The majority of respondents (80%) to KLT indicated that they had been ‘mostly happy’ in school. However, as noted previously, attention should be drawn to the fact that a proportion of children did not feel happy. Further, over a fifth (22%) of children responding to KLT reported that they had been physically bullied (22%), with almost a third (32%) reporting they had been bullied in other ways (such

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as name calling) and over a tenth (13%) bullied on the internet. As noted in detail in Section 2.3 above there were statistically significant differences between the wellbeing scores of children who said they were unhappy at school or who were bullied at school. Respondents who were mostly happy at school had better wellbeing compared to others. This finding highlights a concerning difference between children who were happy at primary school and those who were not and indicates a real need to address the needs of the proportion of children who are unhappy in school.

3.7 Feeling empowered

While children were not asked directly about the extent to which what they had learned in school had empowered them, questions were asked in relation to whether what they learned had helped them to deal with difficult or challenging things and also if learning about rights had helped them to ‘speak out’ about their rights at school.

In relation to dealing with difficult issues, around one third of children and young people said what they had studied in school had helped them. These respondents were asked to provide examples of how they had helped. A number of themes emerged from these comments ranging from examples of emotional and pastoral support to academic support and intellectual development. Figure 2 provides an overview of the themes from the two surveys. Figure 3 provides a word cloud from KLT responses; Figure 4 from YLT. As such the examples given reflected not only what the children and young people had learnt had helped them but also how they had received support from individuals in the school. Notably, the issues raised by the children and young people resonate with other aspects of Article 29 discussed above, suggesting that for some young people what they learn in school is empowering them to deal with these issues. However around a third of children and young people did not feel what they learned in school helped them deal with difficult issues. This does not necessarily mean that they were not supported with difficult issues; it may be that some children and young people did not feel the curriculum had helped them, but they may have felt supported by people within the school.

Figure 2: How what I have learned in school helps me deal with difficult issues

Common themes that emerged from the responses across KLT and YLT were:

Increased self-belief and confidence Support in cases of changing family relationships and situations Providing a broader perspective on issues

In KLT the additional themes that emerged were:

Better understanding and control of their emotions, leading to less arguments and fights

Learning tactics to deal with bullying Being supported in their learning so their felt prepared to face examinations and

tests

In YLT the additional themes that emerged were:

Support in cases of bereavement and illness Receiving university and career advice Increased independent thinking skills Being better equipped to deal with stress and relationships

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In relation to speaking out about rights in schools, only 59% of KLT and 41% of YLT respondents felt that learning about rights empowered them to ‘speak out’. However, as noted above, children and young people might not be learning about their actual Convention rights and may be more likely to be learning about their ‘rights and responsibilities’, as advised in curriculum guidance material. This may have an influence on the extent to which children and young people feel they can speak out about their own rights.

Figure 3: How what I have learned in school helps me deal with difficult issues – KLT word cloud

Figure 4: How what I have learned in school helps me deal with difficult issues – YLT word cloud

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4. Conclusion

Overall, the evidence suggests that the majority of children and young people who responded to the surveys are positive about the extent to which their school helps them to: develop their talents and abilities; make well-balanced decisions; develop a healthy lifestyle and to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner. In terms of the latter however, the findings suggest that a greater focus on the skills of conflict resolution is required in the delivery of aspects of the curriculum, such as Personal Development. In relation to critical thinking and decision making, whilst the majority of respondents felt schools helped them in this regard, a proportion of respondents to both surveys did not feel that what they learnt in schools helped them to develop these skills. As this is a curricular entitlement of every child, the findings suggest that more attention should be given to developing decision making skills in the implementation of the curriculum.

Differences in responses between younger and older children suggest that there also needs to be a greater priority given to nurturing the creativity of students at the latter stages of compulsory education. Further, there is some indication that for older students issues relating to healthy lifestyle and maintaining healthy relationships may have a low priority and/or the way in which this aspect of the curriculum is delivered may not relevant be to young people’s needs.

Children and young people were also very positive about the extent to which their education supports them in respecting others and in understanding and respecting cultures different to their own. They were also generally positive in relation to gender equality in school. However, the findings suggest that perception of gender inequality in school becomes more pronounced as children get older, and that this perception is mediated to some extent by gender.

It could be concluded therefore that for most of the children and young people who responded to the surveys, most aspects of Article 29 (1)(a)(c)(d) of the CRC are being addressed to some extent in their schools. However, since these are the rights of every child, due attention should be paid to the fact that a proportion of children and young people did not respond positively when asked about these issues.

In relation to Article 29(1)(b), Whilst it is encouraging that many children and young people are reporting that they have learnt about children’s rights in school, the findings suggest that there needs to be a clearer focus in the curriculum on the nature and content of the CRC and the institutions that promote and protect children’s rights. This may then encourage more children and young people to feel they can speak out about their own rights.

As noted at the outset of this report, the Committee, in interpreting Article 29, has stated that education needs to be child-centred, child-friendly and empowering. In light of this, it is salient that although most children and young people felt valued at school, many did not respond positively to this question. Just over a tenth of children (KLT) and almost a fifth of young people (YLT) were negative in relation to this question. Further, young people (YLT) who felt that their family was not well off financially were less likely than their peers to agree that they were valued in their school. In relation to evidence from KLT, there is also a concerning difference between children who were happy at primary school and those who were not in relation to bullying and wellbeing. Due attention thus needs to be given to those children and young people who do not feel valued in school, as this may have a mediating effect on their overall enjoyment of their Article 29 rights and their well-being.

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References

Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order (Northern Ireland) (2007)

Education (Other Skills) Order (Northern Ireland) (2007)

McEvoy (Emerson), L. and Lundy, L. (2007) 'In the Small Places: Education and Human Rights Culture in Conflict-Affected Societies'. in G Anthony, J Morison & K McEvoy (eds), Judges, Transition and Human Rights. Oxford University Press, pp. 495-514.

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN) (2001) General Comment No., 1Article 29 (1), The Aims of Education. CRC/GC/2001/1

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Appendix 1: NICCY Questions for KLT

The next questions are about school and children’s rights. We want to find out what children think about their right to have a say about things that affect them.

Q19. Please click one option on each line to show how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

The things I learn at school help me to:

Strongly agree

Agree Neitheragree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

I don’t know

Develop my talents and abilities

1 2 3 4 5 6

Make decisions 1 2 3 4 5 6Sort out arguments without using violence

1 2 3 4 5 6

Know how to be healthy 1 2 3 4 5 6Get on well with other people

1 2 3 4 5 6

Learn how to think about things

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do creative things like art, music, drama

1 2 3 4 5 6

Q20. Have some of the things you learn at school helped you to deal with difficult things that have happened to you?

Yes 1 Go to Q21No 2 Skip to Q22I don’t know 3 Skip to Q22

Q21. How have they helped?

Q22. Have you heard of the Children’s Commissioner?

Yes 1No 2I don’t know 3

Q23. Have you learned about children’s rights at school?

Yes 1 Go to Q24No 2 Skip to Q25I don’t know 5 Skip to Q25

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Q24. And has this ever helped you to speak up about your rights at school?

Yes 1No 2I don’t know 3

Q25. Please click one option to show how much you agree or disagree with the following statement.

Strongly agree

Agree Neitheragree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

I don’t know

I feel I am important in my school

1 2 3 4 5 6

Q26. Do you think boys and girls are treated equally in your school?

Always 1 Skip to Q28Sometimes 2 Go to Q27Never 3 Go to Q27I don’t know 4 Skip to Q28

Q27. (If Sometimes or Never) Please click one option to show how much you agree or disagree with the following statements.

Strongly agree

Agree Neitheragree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

I don’t know

Boys are treated more fairly by teachers than girls

1 2 3 4 5 6

Boys receive harsher punishments than girls

1 2 3 4 5 6

There are differences between the after school activities offered to boy and girls

1 2 3 4 5 6

Q28. Please click one option on each line to show how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

My school encourages pupils to…

Strongly agree

Agree Neitheragree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

I don’t know

be respectful of each other 1 2 3 4 5 6

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understand/accept people from different cultures

1 2 3 4 5 6

Q29. Please click one option on each line to show how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

In my school, Religious Education is taught in a way that…

Strongly agree

Agree Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

I don’t know

shows me how it’s important to/in my life

1 2 3 4 5 6

is useful in helping me think about things that affect me

1 2 3 4 5 6

helps me understand other world religions

1 2 3 4 5 6

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Appendix 2: NICCY Questions for YLT

26. How much you agree or disagree with each of these statements?(Please tick ONE box in EACH row)

The things I learn at school help me to:

Strongly agree

Agree Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

Develop my talents and abilities 1 2 3 4 5 6

Make decisions 1 2 3 4 5 6

Resolve conflict without using violence

1 2 3 4 5 6

Develop a healthy lifestyle 1 2 3 4 5 6

Maintain healthy relationships 1 2 3 4 5 6

Develop critical thinking skills 1 2 3 4 5 6

Encourage my creative talents 1 2 3 4 5 6

27. Have some of the things you study or learn at your current school, or the school you last attended, helped you to deal with challenges that have happened in your life?

28. How have they helped?

29. Have you heard of the Children’s Commissioner?

30. Have you heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or the UNCRC?

Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3

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Yes 1 (Please go to question 28)

No 2 (Please go to question 29)

Don’t know 3 (Please go to question 29)

Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3

31. Have you learnt about children’s or young people’s rights at school?

32. And has this ever helped you to speak up about your rights at school?

Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

33. How much you agree or disagree with the following statement? (Please tick ONE box only)

Strongly agree

Agree Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

I feel that I am valued in my school

1 2 3 4 5 6

34. Do you think males and females are treated equally in your school?

35. How much do you agree or disagree with each of these statements? (Please tick ONE box in EACH row)

Strongly agree

Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

Males are treated more fairly by teachers than females.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Males receive harsher punishments than females.

1 2 3 4 5 6

There are differences between after school activities offered to males and females.

1 2 3 4 5 6

There are differences in the subject options for boys and girls.

1 2 3 4 5 6

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Yes 1 (Please go to the next question)No 2 (Please go to question 33)Don’t know 3 (Please go to question 33)

Yes, always 1 (Please go to question 36)

Yes, most of the time 2 (Please go to the next question)

No, never 3 (Please go to the next question)

Don’t know 4 (Please go to the next question)

36. How much do you agree or disagree with each of these statements?

(Please tick ONE box in EACH row)

My school encourages pupils to….

Strongly agree

Agree Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

be respectful of each other 1 2 3 4 5 6

understand/accept people from different cultures

1 2 3 4 5 6

37. How much do you agree or disagree with each of these statements?

(Please tick ONE box in EACH row)

In my school, Religious Education is taught in a way that….

Strongly agree

Agree Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

is relevant to my life 1 2 3 4 5 6

is useful in helping me think about things that affect me/that affect young people’s lives today

1 2 3 4 5 6

helps me understand other world religions

1 2 3 4 5 6

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