Swede solution to North classroom indiscipline

The North's schools are being offered a Swedish solution to indiscipline in the classroom – respect for human rights.

The North's schools schools are being offered a Swedish solution to indiscipline in the classroom – respect for human rights.

Schools can improve their performance and cut indiscipline by putting respect for the rights of pupils and teachers at the heart of the classroom, according to Sweden’s Director of Education Gunilla Larsson.

She will deliver her lesson on how to sort out classroom problems at a conference in Belfast tomorrow.

The Scandinavian country has made human rights education a mainstream aspect of their school system and in recent years has seen dramatic improvements in classroom behaviour and academic performance.

The country features in the top ten for pupils’ academic performance in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) international comparison school league tables.

In contrast the UK has been slipping down the rankings in recent years.

Ms Larsson said today: “In Sweden we have placed human rights and democratic values at the heart of our school system.

“This means pupils are more empowered to shape their education and to stand up against problems such as bullying and classroom violence.

“A more respectful classroom means a more productive classroom and we believe our pupils and teachers benefit enormously from this human rights approach to education.”

The conference has been organised by teaching unions INTO and UTU together with Amnesty International, and the North and Irish Human Rights Commissions.

The event, focusing on mainstreaming human rights education in schools, will also be addressed by a senior representative of UNESCO and Stormont Education Minister Caitriona Ruane.

Amnesty’s Patrick Corrigan said: “There is a growing body of evidence locally and internationally that bringing human rights education fully into the school environment, as they are doing in Sweden, can improve pupil behaviour and create an atmosphere of respect where academic performance can flourish.”

Mr Corrigan, one of the conference organisers, added: “This is about the rights of children but it also makes common sense for everyone.”

Avril Hall Callaghan, head of the Ulster Teachers’ Union added: “Recent events at Movilla High School have starkly demonstrated the terrible impact on the school environment and on pupil learning when there is a breakdown of respect in the classroom.

“Getting human rights education right – as the UN has just told the Government - will be good for our children, good for our teachers and good for the economy.”

Just last month the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended the UK government should do more to teach pupils about the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It also said human rights education should be used to address the problem of school bullying – a recent survey showed that one in five P7 pupils in the North had been physically bullied in school.