Challenges of our Time: The importance of Children's Rights: policy and research in Scotland

The University of Stirling and Faculty of Social Sciences, invites you to the first in our 'Challenges of our Time' lecture series, part of our 50th anniversary celebrations.

The event is free of charge, but we ask that you register in advance.

Lecture abstract

Chaired by Professor Alison Bowes, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, this two part lecture will be delivered by Jackie Brock and John I'Anson.

Jackie Brock - Scotland has an impressive range of legislation, policy and structures which adhere to UNCRC and EHRC provisions and provides a range of opportunities to support and reinforce the rights of children across public life. Nevertheless, there are critical gaps and gaps in the connections which need to be made across services and supports for children and their families. We need a far more mature understanding of how society and services can support children’s rights and indeed how strengthening children’s rights benefits our society. Jackie’s contribution will offer thoughts on how Scotland’s legislation provides firm foundations and the scope for strengthening our context and the role we all have to play. She will also offer thoughts on how participation and engagement of children and young people could be encouraged more proactively so they can help direct us all in strengthening the rights of children in Scotland.

John I’Anson - John’s talk will begin by identifying some of the key themes, tensions and orientations in the field of research in children’s rights in education, during the past 25 years.  He will then focus upon one issue in particular - the translation of rights into practice - so as to raise the question: how good is our translation?  Here, he will argue that we need to keep centre stage the question of education and the ways in which children and young people might be afforded opportunities​ to engage critically, ethically and experimentally in imagining different presents, and different futures.

A drinks reception will follow after the lecture.

Speakers

Jackie Brock has been Chief Executive of Children in Scotland (CiS) for five years. CiS is an organisation that works to improve all children’s lives by encouraging and supporting their participation and engagement in a range of policies and developments, such as Year of Young People 2018 and improving their learning experience in schools; by running an extensive programme of training and events for the children’s sector workforce and campaigning on a range of issues, such as increasing the provision of early learning and childcare, ending child poverty and improving child protection measures. Prior to joining CiS, Jackie worked for the Scottish Government, in local government and the third sector.   

John I’Anson has a long standing interest in research concerning children’s rights and education. His publications include a review of research in the field of children’s rights and education during the past 25 years, the importance of engaging with theory, and, more recently, an investigation into the kinds of translations that  are performed as the UNCRC is translated into practice in diverse contexts.  He is currently Convenor for Research on Children’s Rights in Education at the European Educational Research Association and is a Deputy Director of the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection, based at the University of Stirling.

Registration

This lecture is free to attend and but we ask that you please register online in advance here.

Further information

If you require any further information please contact the University's Events Team at events@stir.ac.uk.