It's all about R.E.S.P.E.C.T

8:00am Wednesday 26th September 2007

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STUDENTS and teachers from across Dorchester have been learning how to create a Rights Respecting School.

More than 70 people gathered at Kingston Maurward College yesterday for an introduction to a UNICEF project.

The day involved presentations and discussions by adults and children about the pupil's rights as well as their own responsibility to their community.

The project would see the 18 schools behind the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership working towards a UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award.

The award has evolved over the last three years, and aims to increase the children's self esteem and how they think about others.

During the event the children drew up a description of what a Rights Respecting School would look like and how they, the pupils, could help the school move towards that.

Katy Loveless was one of several Year 10 Thomas Hardye pupils who had been trained as a peer to help the younger first and middle school children get to grips with the project.

She said: "We started off by looking at basic rights of life - having clean air, food, water and now we've just moved on to our rights in school.

"Things like pupils having their own views and opinions and being listened to, everybody respecting each other, and following simple classroom rules to make school a generally happier place.

"I think it's important that all the schools are here together and it's good to mix the ages and get different opinions and views on what a good teacher is and what they think should happen in their schools.

"It's a really good thing for this area and hopefully pupils will be happier in their schools and in their classrooms once these rights have been put in place."

Dorset County Council's UNICEF education officer Peter Barton also attended the event which saw two adults and two children first discussing the issues separately before coming together in the afternoon.

Partnership director Peter Farrington said the initiative builds on the partnership's own citizenship awards which reward good behaviour and mutual respect in the school environment.

He said: "A year ago, again with the students, we came up with seven characteristics which make up a good citizen and we see this as a logical next step to maintain the momentum of that project.

"And obviously from our point of view the fact that we're not doing this as 18 different schools but as a whole community of schools, we do believe that this is something that's going to have a significant impact for the whole of the Dorchester area."