Pioneers work with the Convention on the Rights of the Child

All for a child-friendly society

„It is crucial to work in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child if we are to be a child-friendly society,“ says Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður municipality.

A harvest festival to celebrate the implementation of the core provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the work of nurseries, primary schools and after-school clubs in Hafnarfjörður was held on 23 January. The schools being celebrated were pilot schools in the project, pioneers, and the ambitious projects they presented are part of the action plan for a child-friendly community. Their expertise will be used in the implementation by other schools.

The project began in May 2023 in collaboration with the Research Institute for Early Childhood Education, RannUng. The schools identified opportunities to work purposefully with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Other schools will then follow their example.

The children know their rights

Two after-school clubs, the youngest year groups in two schools and two nurseries volunteered and took part. They examined their internal operations and how they could better utilise the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Representatives from the schools then presented the implementation. The idea is to have peer education in the town's schools, nurseries and after-school clubs. The project's initial aim was to increase the visibility of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in their work.

„The aim is for children and staff to know their rights. The bonus is for parents to take part in the journey and to recognise that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is being used in their children's work,“ says Thorunn.

Different ways to the goal

The schools leading the work looked at many things within their own ranks and took different paths. For example, the youngest year group at Víðistaðaskóli decided to look into interest-based choices. „It's so often that we adults put our hands up and forget to think about what the children want to do.“ At the after-school club Hraunsel in Hraunvallar school, the roles were then reviewed.

„Hraunsel then reviewed all his work and linked the covenant to it. They work with the article of the week.“

Þórunn says, however, that these pilot schools have already been using the Convention on the Rights of the Child every day, just like so many other schools. „But they hadn't always realised it.“

The aim is to implement the main provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child:

• Article 2. Equality — prohibition of discrimination
• Article 3. What is in the best interests of the child
• Article 6. Right to life and development
• Article 12. The right to express one's opinions and to have an influence

But does it complicate staff's work to work according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child? „Implementation is often difficult, as people change their ways of working. But by having such pioneers, we can see straight away how other schools can implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child quickly and effectively, and get off to a good start,“ says Þórunn.

Benefits for the children

„The benefits are so great for the children. They get the opportunity to have an impact and learn about democracy early on. I think it's a fantastic tool,“ she says.

„The aim is for children to be able to go out from being experts in their own lives. They can express their opinions and let their light shine. This is a benefit for society as a whole.“