Tjarnarás, UNICEF's first Rights-Based Nursery School in Hafnarfjörður

The children give their opinion on the work

UNICEF today, 1 June, on the anniversary of the City of Hafnarfjörður, awarded the Tjarnarás nursery school the status of a UNICEF Rights School. The school is the first in Hafnarfjörður to receive this recognition.

„Yes, we are certainly proud,“ says Eygló Sif Halldórsdóttir, head teacher of Tjarnaráss nursery. „The recognition creates a shared vision and is a big step for both the staff and the children, who get to express themselves and have an influence on their environment.“

At UNICEF's Rights School and Club, we work purposefully towards one of the core elements of Icelandic education: democracy and human rights. The emphasis is on children's rights education for both children and adults, and on children being active participants in a democratic society. The implementation of the Rights-Based School offers many opportunities to weave human rights and democracy into the work, thereby supporting the goals of children's education and well-being.

The children have already changed the job

Eygló says the new framework has already proved you. The work has been changed to meet what the children want to see. The oldest group forms a rights council that meets once a week.

„We take each article of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child one by one and go over it. It has given us a better insight into their perspective. They have been making good suggestions. It's really enjoyable to hear them analyse the articles of the convention,“ says the nursery head teacher.

Tjarnarás has built a democratic environment by participating in this project and by purposefully cultivating the knowledge, skills and attitudes that help children to become critical, active and competent participants in modern society.

The children on the Tjarnarás Rights Council organised the day. They encouraged pupils to come to school in fancy dress, sang songs together to celebrate this important milestone and enjoyed a waffle party for their afternoon snack.

Eight-step implementation

The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is in eight steps. The steps guide participants through each part of the implementation with clear instructions, checklists, a situational analysis, an action plan and a final report. When the first cycle is complete, the next one begins and the work on rights continues.

Tjarnarás began its journey a year ago. This cycle usually takes two years, but as the staff had already built a good foundation, they secured the accreditation after only a one-year process.

Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður Municipality, congratulates the school. „A heartfelt congratulations on this award, Tjarnarás, you have created an environment where children's voices are heard and respect is paramount. This significant milestone demonstrates your diligence, ambition and dedication that you put into your work every day,“ she says. „Thank you for being pioneers in the borough when it comes to the welfare and rights of children.“

Yes, a heartfelt congratulations, Hafnarfjörður.