Four Swiss NGOs edevelop to the international Children’s Rights Day Educational teaching material on the topic “Equal opportunities and equality“.
To coincide with International Children’s Rights Day on 20 November 2022, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, Integras and the Alliance terre des hommes schweiz / Terre des hommes schweiz are presenting free educational tools entitled “Children’s rights: do you know them?” for teachers throughout Switzerland. The aim is to promote discussion and awareness of children’s rights issues. This year, the focus is on “Equal opportunities and equal rights”, and the documents will be available to download free of charge from October 20 on the website www.children-rights.ch.
In the view of the four organizations, Children’s Rights Day is a suitable opportunity to raise pupils’ awareness of a specific children’s rights issue. In Switzerland, the principles of equal opportunities and equal rights are enshrined in the Federal Constitution. However, their practical implementation often remains a challenge – even in schools. One reason for this is that children’s rights should ideally be taught through personal discussion and practical experience. This teaching material offers the opportunity for such experience-oriented learning.
“Children’s rights education means offering a framework in which children and young people can try things out and where they are given space to discuss their own and other people’s opinions and attitudes and to question attitudes and values. These teaching materials have been developed with this in mind,” says Barbara Germann, teacher for intercultural exchange projects at the Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Trogen.
The theme for each year is determined together with children and young people. It is also important to include the needs and opinions of children and young people in the development process.
“Pupils are the experts on their life situation, so it is essential for us to give them a voice and involve them when it comes to children’s rights in Switzerland,” emphasizes Catherine Brunold, Psychosocial Support Unit and tdh éducation project manager at terre des hommes schweiz.
Free tools in three national languages
The new teaching materials are made available to teachers free of charge in the three national languages. They invite pupils to engage in a dialog about how democratic principles can be lived together in the spirit of equal opportunities and equal rights. The didactic materials are published in line with the curriculum and are supplemented by inclusive teaching materials in simplified language.
Lorène Métral, child rights specialist and head of Latin Switzerland at Integras, explains: “The inclusive teaching material offers exercises that deal with the topic of equal opportunities and equality in the field of special education, but they are also suitable for classes with younger children or for children with a different mother tongue”.
The four-year project is being carried out in collaboration with éducation 21 and is supported by the federal government as part of the Child and Youth Promotion Act.
Further information and teaching materials: www.children-rights.ch
Information about tdh éducation: www.tdh-bildung.ch
Media contact terre des hommes schweiz: Valerie Wendenburg, valerie.wendenburg@terredeshommes.ch,+41 61 335 91 51
terre des hommes schweiz
terre des hommes schweiz empowers young people in Africa, Latin America and Switzerland. Together with them, the Zewo-certified association fights poverty, violence and discrimination and campaigns for the rights of children and young people and fair North-South relations. The core competence of terre des hommes schweiz is participatory and solution-oriented work with young people.
Integras
Integras promotes expertise in working with children, adolescents and young adults in out-of-home care and/or with special educational needs by demanding and promoting a high level of ethical and professional quality.
Pestalozzi Children’s Village Foundation
The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation is a Swiss non-profit organization committed to helping children and young people in Switzerland and in twelve countries around the world. It supports children and young people in developing specific skills that are necessary for peaceful coexistence through education for sustainable development and the opportunity for individual development.
Terre des Hommes Suisse
Terre des Hommes Suisse is a non-profit organization that has always been committed to children and solidarity-based development. The aim of Terre des Hommes Suisse is to give children and young people the tools to become agents of change so that they are able to work for respect for their rights and a more sustainable world.
