Participative rights in Welsh primary schools
Unpicking the policy rhetoric
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16778340 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alison Murphy (0000-0003-4020-8896, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, corresponding author), Louisa Roberts (0009-0009-5596-0280, University of the West of England), Jane Williams (0000-0002-0142-0299, Swansea University), Sarah Chicken (0000-0001-6428-1102, University of the West of England), Jennifer Clement (0000-0003-1588-3259, Cardiff Metropolitan University), Jane Waters-Davies (University of Wales Trinity Saint David), Jacky Tyrie (0000-0002-6419-5391, Swansea University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 295-315 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Policy Futures in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1478-2103 • E-ISSN: 1478-2103 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14782103241257281 |
| OpenAlex | W4399497659 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
This paper presents the findings from the initial stage of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project which examines the pedagogic practices that embed young children’s participative rights in lower primary classrooms in Wales. An evaluation of relevant legislation and policy in Wales from 2000 to 2022 was undertaken to explicate the positioning of teachers and their responsibilities regarding children’s participative rights. Data analysis detailed here sets out the legislative and statutory context within which teachers work, as well as the curricular and pedagogic framework which steers classroom activity. The Welsh Government has, for two decades, been explicitly sympathetic to embedding children’s rights in policy development, yet there is limited research evidencing the changes in educational curricula and practice. The gap between policy intention and implementation is not unique to Wales and therefore of universal interest. We report that although there is evidence of the increased inclusion of children’s participative rights in more recent legislation and policy, the move to education about, through and for human rights is only significantly pronounced in recent reforms such as the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021. We advocate that the commitment to human rights education made in the Curriculum for Wales is perpetuated and ongoing critical appraisal of legislation and policy is needed, alongside further research to understand how that commitment is being interpreted in Welsh education settings
Geography · Pedagogy · Political science · Rhetoric · Sociology · Welsh · Children's Rights and Participation · Gender Studies · Ombudsman and Human Rights · Peace and Human Rights Education
Human Rights Education
Who educates the teacher educator? On research, practice, and politics
Children’s perspectives on why and when teachers listen to their ideas
FutureGen – Lessons from a Small Country
School students' views on school councils and daily life at school
Towards Voice‐Inclusive Practice
Philosophy of education in a new key
Integrating Sustainable Development and Children's Rights
What is policy? 21 years later
| Highly cited | No |
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