« They have to know that we are here for them »
« First and foremost, we want them to feel good. There would be no staff here if they weren’t here. They have to know that we are here for them, » says Sigrún Helga Snæbjörnsdóttir, project manager of ÍSAT (Icelandic as a second language) in Siduskóli, about the students of the school.
« Of course, although there is a certain regulation on what to do in school, it is still possible to meet students in many ways. »
The Children’s Assembly was held for students in 1-10. class in the Side School in Akureyri this morning and emphasis was placed on democracy, participation and human rights for children. The parliament is part of the UNICEF rights school project and went incredibly well, according to Sigrún.
« Of course, although there is a certain regulation on what to do in school, it is still possible to meet students in many ways, » says Sigrún.
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« Their voice gets to enjoy themselves »
« This is part of the fact that we are UNICEF’s Rights School. We received a flag and recognition in November, but we have been working on that goal for almost three years, » says Sigrún.
The school’s rights committee consists of the school’s staff, the leisure and the social center and the council of two children from each class.
The aim of the Children’s Assembly is for students to know their rights and know that they matter.
« They are very much down for discussing the situation in the school and it is cool that they have the opportunity and they are listened to. Their voice gets to enjoy themselves and now the ball is with us the staff, to change what we can change, although we cannot put a swimming pool in the inner garden as some were asking for, » says Sigrún.
All kinds of ideas, big and small, were received from students through the Children’s Assembly and they were all put down on paper.
« Everything that was said was important. Although we may have broken over some of the ideas, they still went down to the paper. »
When asked, she says she will find a difference between students when they know their rights better. They become safer and express themselves more. With this initiative, the students have influenced many things within the walls of the school, for example the installation of the toilets and the menu, but all classes now have to choose what is in the dinner once over the school year.
Sigrún says they find a difference between students when they know their rights better. They become safer and express themselves more.
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« It was so fun to see them step up like that »
« It went really well.
Each year, the school conducted a survey for students and staff, and the topic of the parliament was formulated based on the answers that have been obtained with these surveys, especially those who identified some dissatisfaction among students.
Attempts were made to have the simplest organization. Twelve tables were set up in the gym and divided by colors; Then there was a secretary at each table.
« The secretaries were either the staff of the school or older children from the Rights Council. Students then went over different questions depending on where they were and then moved between tables, so that all the kids went over all the questions that were available at each level. »
When asked, Sigrún has been a great ambition among older students in assisting with their younger children’s conference.
« We asked students at the middle and teenage level in the Rights Council if they trusted themselves to be the chairpersons and secretaries on each table with younger students. Those who trusted themselves performed incredibly well, they were no less than with the staff. It was so fun to see them step up. »
When asked, Sigrún has been a great ambition among older students in assisting with their younger children’s conference.
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Students’ insecurity taken for
Nine questions were asked in the parliament. For example, it was asked what staff and students could do better to influence school work and how to change the leisure/social center so that it is more fun.
At all levels, there was talk of communication with staff and insecurity in the toilet and in the corridors of the school.
Asked what she applies with insecurity, Sigrún younger students often experience insecurity in the corridors of the school when adolescents pass by noise or even run in the tunnel, although there are rules that it cannot.
« We see in the answers of the students in the surveys that they are insecure and then it is all that we look more closely at what can be done to change it. So we are going deeper into the surveys. For example, students have described insecurity regarding the toilets.
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