KILCREGGAN Primary School has been recognised by the United Nations and has been awarded the prestigious UNICEF Silver Rights Respecting School Award.
The local school has become the first in the UK to receive the virtual accreditation this term, which is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in an educational setting.
Silver is given to schools that make excellent progress towards embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum.
Parents, staff and pupils at Kilcreggan have all contributed to the award, with the whole school community coming together to learn about, and promote, children’s rights.
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Pupils also re-wrote the words of the school song to include reference of their rights, they made posters for display around the school, and many wrote articles explaining the importance of children’s rights.
Frances Bretman, the school’s head teacher, said: “I am extremely proud of the work that has been done by pupils, parents and staff on the Rights Respecting steering group in taking forward the rights respecting agenda at Kilcreggan Primary.
“We have always had children’s voice and children’s rights central to the ethos of Kilcreggan Primary but the focus of working towards accreditation has reinforced and extended the importance of these rights for our whole school community.”
Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “Sincerest congratulations to everyone at Kilcreggan Primary, this is a fantastic achievement. The values embedded in the Rights Respecting Schools Award help to ensure that our children and young people feel empowered and give them a voice.
“A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted. Staff, pupils and parents have all worked extremely hard to achieve this.
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“They have shown great commitment and dedication, and I am extremely proud of them. Well done.”
Frances Bestley, UK national programme director for Rights Respecting Schools, said: “Children at Kilcreggan Primary School have shown a really good grasp of the Convention. It is great to see how much the Convention underpins the school’s work and values, in turn creating a rights-respecting environment, both in the classroom and playground.
“Children’s rights are incorporated in many areas of the school’s work, including in the curriculum, assemblies and the various activities children organise and take part in.
“We were also impressed by the many opportunities for children to have their voices heard. We are very pleased to be awarding Silver: Rights Aware to Kilcreggan Primary.”
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