Children's Rights Education is founded on the 3 principles of children's rights embodied in the Convention on the Rights of the Child:

Universality

The rights contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are universal to all children; every child is entitled to these rights and they shall not be taken away. 

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Indivisibility

The rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are inherent to the dignity of every child and each right has equal status. Respect for all rights is required for their full enjoyment.

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Interdependence

Each right in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child contributes to the realization of the child's dignity. The fulfilment of one right depends wholly, or in part, on the fulfilment of other rights.

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The fundamental principle of children's rights curriculum is that it must be contextualized within and informed by the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It must also include the following 3 principles: 

1. Education for Knowledge of Rights
2. Education for Values in Rights
3. Education for Responsible Behaviours

It is fundamentally important that the Knowledge of Rights principle form the foundation of children's rights education, after which comes Values in Rights and Behaviours from Rights. It is not rights respecting to expect children to behave respectfully and responsibly towards self and others without any knowledge of their rights. However, studies conducted by Katherine Covell, PhD and Brian Howe, PhD  demonstrate that once the principle of Education for Knowledge of Rights is fulfilled, children naturally begin to display respecting values and behaviours to uphold these rights for self and others. For more information on the studies conducted by Covell and Howe on the benefits of integrating a comprehensive children's rights education curriculum in schools go here.

Principle 1

Knowledge of the provision of children's rights in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is every child's right.

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Principle 2

Respect of all the rights contained within the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is required for the protection of each child's dignity.

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Principle 3

Responsible advocacy behaviours are required when pursuing the effective realization of all children's rights as outlined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

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