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Making Rights Real: Teaching the UNCRC

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, 75 Years of the United Nations Special Issue, 2020

By Nikita Griffioen

“What do you mean, we have rights as minors?” Thirty pairs of quizzical eyes met mine. Brows furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t rights made by adults, for adults?” I heard a student mutter. Even the most distracted of students gave me their full attention, convinced I was teaching about some mythical topic.

This was the response I received as I introduced my Grade 9 social studies class to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). I made the decision on a whim to dedicate one lesson to the UNCRC, thinking (wrongly) that it would be quick to cover before moving on to further topics. It wasn’t long before I realized that I needed to spend much more time on this.

I can’t say that their reactions were surprising. Had I been one of those students, I’m confident that my reply would have been the same. Thinking back on my childhood, I too wasn’t told my rights at an age when it would most matter. The UNCRC was never part of the curriculum I learned in elementary or high school. Had I not taken a Social Justice class in university, I doubt that I would even be aware of a children’s version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

After the shocked response from my students, I talked to some of my colleagues regarding their experience with the UNCRC. Much to my chagrin, but not to my surprise, the overwhelming majority of my peers had neither heard about the UNCRC nor taught it. Similarly, I asked my other classes if they had heard of the UNCRC, whether in school or out in the world? Once again, the answer was negative.

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Nikita Griffioen currently teaches in Abbotsford, BC. When she’s not in class, you can find her traveling, snowboarding, surfing, reading, or making art.

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Nikita Griffioen
Nikita Griffioen
Nikita Griffioen currently teaches in Abbotsford, BC. When she’s not in class, you can find her traveling, snowboarding, surfing, reading, or making art.

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