Dunoon Primary School has become the latest school in Argyll and Bute to receive a gold award in UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School Programme.
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is given 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 school. Gold is the highest accolade given by UNICEF UK and shows a deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life.
The school’s award comes just two weeks after the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the amended UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill - a vital step to ensuring children and young people have their rights recognised and protected.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved at Dunoon Primary on this excellent achievement. Children and young people need to know they have a voice; they need to know they have equal status in society; and they need to be aware of their rights. The whole school community at Dunoon Primary has worked hard to reach these goals and I am incredibly proud of their efforts.
“We are committed to improving the outcomes for children and young people in Argyll and Bute, and we are well on our way to becoming a Rights Respecting Education Service, with so many of our schools now successfully engaged with the programme.”
Headteacher at Dunoon Primary, Brenda Reid, said: “Everyone in Dunoon Primary School is incredibly proud to have received the Gold Award from UNICEF UK. This is in recognition of the hard work of pupils, staff and the wider school community in ensuring that children’s rights are at the heart of Dunoon Primary School.
“Our children and young people can see how the school helps them to enjoy a wide range of their rights. They understand the concepts of fairness and equity and how this is promoted across the whole of Dunoon Primary. I would like to thank all our pupils in coming together to achieve this success as well as staff who worked incredibly hard to reach gold standard.”