Author: tracykirkblog

The Best Place in the World to Grow up: How can Scotland uphold its legal obligations to children and young people in these unprecedented times?

The Best Place in the World to Grow up: How can Scotland uphold its legal obligations to children and young people in these unprecedented times?

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The Scottish Government has made no secret of their desire for Scotland to be the ‘best place in the world to grow up’. The commitment to a maximalist approach to incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is something that those of us involved in working with and for children and young people welcome very much.

However, it is deeply concerning that this commitment has not translated into strong children’s rights leadership in terms of the response to Covid19.

Although the Scottish Government has completed several Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments (CRWIA) since March none of these have covered all of the emergency measures. They have also failed to properly identify the groups of children who were likely to be the most negatively and disproportionately impacted by the emergency measures taken by the Scottish Government.

This included the Scottish Government’s decision to cancel all SQA examinations and to utilise an alternative grading process. There has been no assessment of the necessary steps required to mitigate the negative impacts of the cancellation and the unfairness which the alternative grading process would result in. There was no consideration or communication with the young people at the centre of this nor was there consideration of the disproportionate disadvantage which would result from the alternative grading process.

A Children’s Rights Impact Assessment would have identified some of the potential breaches of rights and offered the opportunity to mitigate any disproportionate disadvantages.

The Need for a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA)

The Children and Young People’s Commissioner in Scotland (CYPCS) commissioned an alternative Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) which was conducted by a range of academics, experts and practitioners in children’s human rights. Having been part of the editing review team for the education stream of this, the significance of the failure to recognise the rights of young people in the SQA examination process came across strongly.

This alternative CRIA highlighted that there had been a failure to consult with young people, a lack of communication with the students due to sit the exams and ultimately it argued that there was a potential impact upon mental health and the long-term developments of children and young people. There was no children’s rights based approach to the cancellation of the exams or the alternative grading model proposed by the Scottish Government and SQA and this has led to the issues around inequality, unfairness and lack of transparency which has become amplified now the results are out.

How could a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment have helped prevent this results fiasco?

Conducted prior to changes in legislation or policy, a CRIA offers an opportunity to identify potential impact of the proposed changes upon children and their rights. It is an opportunity to engage with those who will be affected to ensure their views are considered and their concerns (and potential solutions) heard. It is also an opportunity to put mitigations in place to ensure there is no disproportionate disadvantage upon certain groups of children. All this should take place before the proposed changes to ensure that the approach taken is consistent with legal obligations.

The Scottish Government has set out how it thinks Children’s Rights Impact Assessments should be utilised and when.

But haven’t the SQA completed a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment?

The SQA published their ‘CRWIA’on Tuesday morning – results day. However, it is not clear when this was conducted. It was really patchy and did not effectively follow the guidance outlined by the Scottish Government highlighted above.

Independently, as a children’s human rights academic and as part of the young people led group SQA Where’s Our Say, I have written to the Deputy First Minister several times since the examinations were cancelled to offer help to ensure that the response by the Scottish Government and the SQA was children’s rights compliant. There has been no acknowledgement of the rights based arguments which I have set out to him, and the various committees at the Scottish Parliament .

Reference to children’s rights led only to responses which discussed the concept of ‘wellbeing’ of children in the strictly Scottish sense. Rights and wellbeing are not the same thing.

Which rights were impacted by the cancellation of exams and the development of the alternative grading process?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has a range of rights which have been impacted by the cancellation of the exams, and the alternative grading process.

These include:

  • the right not to be discriminated against, directly or indirectly (Article 2),
  • the best interests of the child being considered when decisions are made and laws are developed which will affect a child (Art 3),
  • the right to be involved in decision making consistent with their evolving capacities – the older you are and the more you understand about the decisions being made, the more you should be involved in that process (Art 5 and 12),
  • the right to freedom of expression – to be able to find out information about yourselves and keep it private if you so wish (Art 13 and 14),
  • the right to freedom of association – to take part in peaceful protests (Art 15),
  • the right not to have arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family home, or correspondence (Art 16),
  • the right to education (Art 28) with the right to special care for those with a disability (Art 23),
  • the right to an education which ensures development is supported in the best way possible for each individual child (Art 29).

 

The Scottish Government and SQA have failed to take a child centred approach and ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of each student, consistent with Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Getting It Right For Every Child: A child centred approach

The Scottish Government has a responsibility to ensure that they consider what is in the best interests of each child when they make decisions about them – this is consistent with their ‘child centred approach’ which GIRFEC represents. Students are individuals. Their exam results should also be individual instead of being moderated to take account of previous school results.

In practice the framework of assessment and planning known as ‘Getting It Right For Every Child’ (GIRFEC) requires rights and wellbeing based decision-making through consultation and engagement with children, their families and the Team Around the Child.

The wellbeing indicators which help show whether a policy decision is indeed consistent with the rights based principles of GIRFEC help emphasise that the decision to make collective decisions in terms of the SQA exam results was contrary to the child centred approach. These indicators are often summarised as the SHANARRI principles

 

S – Safe:

H – Healthy:

A – Achieving:

N – Nurtured

A – Active

R – Respected

R- Responsible

I – Included

 

It is difficult to see how SQA candidates can possibly feel that they have benefited from a child centred approach. These young people were working hard to achieve their grades. They should have been respected enough to be enabled to share their views prior to the exam results coming out – 4 full months of uncertainty and no engagement about exam results and simply saying there is an appeals process is not good enough.

Young people should have been encouraged to play a role in the bigger conversation about exam results 2020 to enable them to be actively involved and included in decisions which affect them in the short and long term.

The wellbeing principle ‘Included’ specifically refers to children and young people ‘having help to overcome social, educational, physical and economic inequalities and being accepted as part of the community in which they live and learn’. It is clear that this has not happened here.

GIRFEC and wellbeing duties

The principles of GIRFEC are reflected in domestic law and policy, including the Education provisions and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The GIRFEC assessment and planning framework is incorporated into schools through the Children’s Services Plan for each local authority area and the National Practice Model. The Education (additional support for learning) provisions similarly provide a coordinated multi-agency approach to provision of education to meet children’s needs. Assessment of a child’s ‘wellbeing’ is integral to the Whole System Approach in children’s services.

It is clear that the SQA failed to consider any holistic individualised assessments of children’s attainment and capabilities through the professional judgment of teachers.

 

So, these rights and wellbeing indicators may be (and have been) impacted by the proposed changes – what next?

The next step in a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment means that having identified the potential breaches identified, it would then be important to consult those young people involved in the examinations process.

This has not happened and it is important to note that young people were told not to contact their schools to discuss their examination estimates because teachers were not in a position to discuss the grading process (which was far from straight forward and demanded a lot from our teachers during a period where they were also adapting to online learning). Young people had nowhere to direct their concerns and seek answers. There has been a clear breach of the obligations which the Scottish Government owe to children and young people.

Which young people should have been consulted?

The groups of children who would have been affected by the cancellation of the exams and the alternative grading process – in a positive, negative or neutral way – include (but are not limited to):

  •       All children and young people sitting SQA examinations;
  •       Children with disabilities and protected characteristics;
  •       Children with Additional Support for Learning needs;
  •       Children living in poverty;
  •       Children who have mental health difficulties;
  •       Migrant and refugee children;
  •       Looked after and care experienced children,
  •       Gypsy traveller children;
  •       Children in private education
  •       Home-schooled children
  •       Children in Young Offenders Institutions and secure care centres.

 

While it has been argued by the SQA that individual characteristics and circumstances should have been utilised by teachers in deciding the grades to be awarded, it is important to note that many young people will not have spoken to their teachers about personal issues and many won’t have had the opportunity to do so over the last 4 months.

Further, it is also clear from the fantastic work of University of Glasgow academic @BarryBlack and others that there has been a disproportionate disadvantage on specific groups of young people. There are a range of mitigations which could be put in place and some of these could still be utilised to solve this situation.

What mitigations could be put in place?

Mitigations could include:

  •       An alternative exam diet for those who wish to sit their exams – England has this option available for those who do not wish to accept the grade awarded to them.
  •       A no detriment policy – Similar to that adopted by universities this approach to examination results would ensure that a young person is not allowed to suffer because of something which was out of their control. An agreement between the SQA and universities would prevent students being rejected from their university choices automatically based upon exams they were not permitted to sit.
  •       An inclusive and direct appeals process – students cannot currently access the appeals service directly. All appeals must come from individual schools. It is also important to note that not everyone is currently permitted an appeal – an appeal is currently only permitted where the SQA have downgraded a result from the teacher estimate.
  •       The return of coursework held by the SQA to give teachers increased evidence to base grades upon – the SQA refused to return coursework submitted to them previously.
  •       Individual Team Around the Child assessment discussions at the outset of the process where teachers were allowed to explain estimates.
  •       Individualised assessment of the impact of pandemic on each child who is dissatisfied with the results and have this taken into account in the appeals process as mitigation.

 

So, what now?

It is time for the Scottish Government and the SQA to acknowledge that they have made a mistake and that the system was not fair in the way they say it was intended to be. Saying students can ‘just appeal’ is not a solution – it lacks clarity and thought.

As a result of this unfairness, there needs to be mitigations put in place which ensures there is no detriment to young people, an inclusive and direct ability to appeal grades given in 2020 which does not rely upon a school agreeing to put in the appeal. There should also be an agreement that there should be no further moderation conducted in appeals.

2020 is not an ordinary year and should not be compared to other years. Our students are individuals not statistics.

The #NoWrongPath message does not excuse the SQA and Scottish Government’s failure to engage with children’s rights – it has led to #AnUnnecessaryDiversionForSome – something which could be rectified now by engaging with the individuals at the heart of this and applying the mitigations above. No young person should have their life opportunities affected because of the pandemic in this way if we can provide mitigations which avoid it – and we can- and we must.

 

 

Protected: The Best Place in the World to Grow up: How can Scotland uphold its legal obligations to children and young people in these unprecedented times?

Protected: The Best Place in the World to Grow up: How can Scotland uphold its legal obligations to children and young people in these unprecedented times?

by tracykirkblog

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It’s Not Ok That We Are Making Our Young People Not Ok!

It’s Not Ok That We Are Making Our Young People Not Ok!

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As someone who works with and researches alongside children and young people, I am always interested in the issues which concern them most. Being a teenager in 2018 is not easy and it can be difficult for others to understand exactly what it’s like, as I have written about elsewhere. One thing is for sure, as a society we do seem to be accepting that the risk of mental ill-health amongst young people is continuing to grow.

What doesn’t seem to be as widely accepted is the cause of youth mental ill-health. Of course, there isn’t just one cause, one reason, one excuse. However, when we become aware of anything which is directly resulting in the negative mental health of our young people, we have a responsibility as academics, parents and fellow human beings to highlight it.

Having worked with young people for a long time, I have been struck by the rising pressures put upon young people, particularly by their schools.

Yes, schools are where young people spend a lot of their time. Yes, young people probably see some of their teachers for much longer than they see their parents. Yes, teachers, technicians and other support staff play a vital role in the lives of our young people – there are some very caring, nurturing and genuinely dedicated groups of individuals out there. However, as someone who specialises in the rights of children and young people, particularly adolescents, there is a distinct lack of framework within education, and elsewhere, for recognising that as young people grow they should be given more autonomy to make decisions about their lives. Instead, some Scottish schools are restricting autonomy and this is adversely impacting upon the mental health of our young people.

There are many different examples of this restriction of autonomy but I am going to mention just two: school service and ‘you must respect your teacher …’ – both in relation to final year school students (16 and 17 year olds).

School Service

Although many schools have had school service as an option for a while, this year’s final year students are feeling the pressure more than any previous year. Students who would have had ‘free periods’ AKA ‘study periods’ are being told they now need to choose an area of the school to help out in to ‘give something back’.

For some students that means working in the school library, reading to younger students, helping teachers in classes with admin or other tasks. Crucially, some students have been told that their role is needed because of cuts to support staff, something that UNISON Scotland is currently campaigning about.

While helping others is a wonderful thing that does provide additional, practical experience to put on that personal statement – is it really worth it when it risks the mental health of our young people?

Having upset and angry young people because they have far fewer study periods at school, are having to hold down a job as well as trying to maintain a decent level of grades as they manoeuvre their way through adolescence while also applying for apprenticeships, college, jobs and/or university highlights the lack understanding of what it means to be a final year school student in 2018.

When these young people are contacting me upset and feeling unable to cope, feeling distanced from their peers, their studies and generally knackered, we need to start questioning the reasoning behind restricting what young people use their ‘free periods’ for. Surely they should be permitted to choose what to do in those free periods, instead of being made to go and do something for the school for 4-6 periods a week, especially if it is the difference between positive and negative mental health?!

‘You must respect your teacher …’

Some schools really do emphasise the ‘us’ and ‘them’ environment when they have assemblies at the start of term to tell final year students that they must respect their teachers. The eye rolling of teens who retort ‘why don’t they have to show us any respect?’ really does underpin the issue many have with this request.

If you speak to teachers, some will say that young people have no respect any more. If you speak to the final year students – those about to enter places of full-time employment, further education and training – they say that they’ve never been shown any respect by teachers. This isn’t a new debate nor is it confined to schools, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed if we are to get to the bottom of the mental health epidemic – positive relationships with teachers is an important issue: from the start of education, until the end of education. Schools should leave a lasting positive impression in the lives of their young people, and at present – in Scotland – this is being restricted due to the failure to treat young people as equals. We all want respect – we are only human. If we want well rounded, integrated members of the community and not isolated young people who feel detached from society we need to start listening – now!

What stage do we need to get to for heads of education to start listening? Young people spend most of their time in school, it is a fact of life and respecting the autonomy of young people is vital if we are to ensure this time is as productive as it can be.

While many are happy to moan about the negative stereotypes of our young people and say that it is just what ‘kids are like these days’, thankfully some of us think a bit differently … it is time for discussion, debate and dialogue where schools, young people and education chiefs admit that the current school ethos is not having the positive lasting effect it should be.

As Maya Angelou said: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’. WE need to think about how we are making our young people feel because at the minute we are making our young people unwell, and that is not ok!

SQA Exam Results Day 2018 – words of advice for students and parents! Grades don’t define you :)

SQA Exam Results Day 2018 – words of advice for students and parents! Grades don’t define you :)

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Tuesday 7th August 2018 – a date that will pass lots of people without too much thought. However, for thousands of students, that date has been etched onto their memories since before they sat their exams in May.

It’s SQA exam results day!!

The stress.  The time spent studying, day after day. The nagging parents (and tutor!). All for you to sit exams which you are brought up to believe are the most important thing you will do in your life.

While it is true that exams are important, they aren’t the difference between success and failure for the rest of your life. You decide whether your life is going to be a success, whether you sail through your exams with straight A’s or get a set of results which disappoints you. Only you know how much you understood, how much work you put in and how much you wanted to succeed in each subject. Therefore, it is only you that can reflect upon your work, effort and determination when you receive your exam results.

Little is said about reflecting upon your results. Reflection is something most of your parents will need to do on a regular basis at appraisals in the work place. As we grow up, we reflect upon everything – that is how we learn. This is how you should view your exam results – a learning curve from which you can use lessons to shape your future.

What to do when you get your results

Ok – it’s Tuesday 7th August and your results come through. Remember, this is an important day for you but your families also want to experience this day with you.

If your results are straight A’s (which is much rarer than people realise), you may wish to spend some time telling friends and family. You should be pleased of your achievements and should celebrate them.

If your results are a mixed bag of the grades you wanted with some below your expectations, please do not be disheartened. Focus on the positives and remember that with some time to think about what you’d like to achieve, all is not lost. Celebrate your successes.

If the ‘worst’ happens and your results are what you constitute a ‘disaster’ then DO NOT PANIC. I’ve known many people over the years; friends, old students and even academics who have not managed to get the grades they required at school and have taken a few more years (or an entirely different route where they gain life experience too) in order to get to where they want to be.

Yes, it may be seen as easier to get your exams while at school, but I am a firm believer that if you want something enough – you will achieve it, regardless of your age!

My higher results caused me devastation back in 2004. As my family will attest to, the fact I only got one A grade was awful to me – I’d failed. However, I was the first person in my family to achieve highers. While they weren’t top grades by any means, I got myself into university, I got my first class law degree, started my own business and I’m publishing while working towards my PhD.

I’m 31 in a few months, and I may not be in my ‘final’ job but I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’ve become more determined, more able to appreciate small successes along the way and thicker skinned.

Ultimately, working with teenagers has helped me decide that I want to specialise in the rights of adolescents and children. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘what’s for you won’t go passed you’. So, regardless of your results, you’ll get there.

If your results mean that your university options are thrown into disarray, please do not panic – there are always options. You can speak to the university directly, or use UCAS Clearing. The road to success is never smooth for anyone, so this is merely a bump in the road.

Think of your friends

While celebrating all successes, please bear in mind that some of your friends may not feel particularly social over the exam results week. By all means, let them know you are there to chat if they want to.

However, exam results are a very personal thing – if everyone got straight A’s the world would be a boring place! We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, so be supportive and not competitive with each other.

Friends are there to support each other so enjoy the rest of your school holidays as much as you can!

Parents and Family Support

Remember that stress you went through over exam time? Well, most of your parents went through very similar feelings. They instinctively want you to do really well in your exams so you have as many options in life as possible.

However, they have no control over your results which is frustrating for them – and for you! Try not to get annoyed with your parents repeatedly asking if you are ok, or how your friends got on – just try to be honest with them.

Going forward – need a chat?

Having said that any set of results aren’t the end of the world, it is part of human nature that we tend to be hard on ourselves. If you want to talk, confidentially, about your results, or your options going forward then please get in touch. I’ve tutored for a long time and have helped tutoring students, and their friends around results day for many years.

Sometimes having someone to speak to can make a huge difference and help you get that much needed perspective!

The Samaritans are also available if you find that easier.

Ultimately – remember that exam results do not dictate your future, unless you let them!

That said, in the words of Harry Potter:

‘Working hard is important.

But there is something that matters even more, believing in yourself.’

**********

Twitter: @tkirk039

Email: tkirk1@outlook.com

**********

A note to parents and family: I know that you all want your children to achieve the best results they are capable of, so please be as supportive of your teens as possible. Focus on the positive results, the lessons learnt – which may be gradual over the next few weeks and month – please DO NOT make repeated comments about any ‘failures’ because it is this that they remember 10-15 years down the line. It’s not the fact they achieved a hard fought for B in Higher English, but the fact their Dad kept going on about that fail in Higher Chemistry. I’m about if any parent wants a chat about results and options going forward but please remember that it is really very difficult to build up anyone’s confidence, but especially that of an adolescent who wants to achieve so much with their life! Let’s keep positive, and look to options for the future. Solutions not problems!

Struggling to get back into school? Not sure what you should be doing? Advice for S4-6 students!

Struggling to get back into school? Not sure what you should be doing? Advice for S4-6 students!

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So, the schools are back and homework is either starting to pile up, or you think you have nothing to do… if you are in S4,5,6 then the summer holidays are definitely over.

Although many students have tried to argue that they have nothing to study, this is definitely not the case! There is a whole range of different materials online for you to use in addition to a wealth of textbooks.

Maths – textbook practice, worksheets, practice exam questions!

English – reading that play or book you were meant to finish over the summer, revising the text on BBC Bitesize or finding other resources online (a quick google search and you’ll have lots to be getting on with), practice essays, practice textual analysis, newspaper homework, close reading practice… you’ve always got things to revise for English. Remember you should be trying to read before bed on school nights too – audio books are never a bad thing, Amazon’s audible offers a monthly service at £7.99 a month that I’ve used. No contract and much cheaper than spending £20+ on one audio book. You can listen to a sample of the book before you buy one too.

Other subjects – use the information you have, or find it online. DON’T just stare at it and hope it’ll magically make its own way into your brain. Mind maps, simple lists (I’ve shown some of you what I mean by this – ask if you want me to explain), past paper questions etc.

Remember, if you read something out loud before bed it’ll store in your memory better – particularly helpful for French, English quotes etc.

Review from before summer

Remember, the courses started in June so you now have at least 5 weeks worth of subjects to learn, revise and answer exam questions on.

Your teachers don’t have time to go over all this material again, so it is your responsibility to go over the work, use it and do exam questions on it! Being 15 years old and above, you now need to start taking more responsibility for your learning and that includes getting on with your studying without needing your teacher to do it for you.

Study Plans

A few of the students have looked at me like I’ve cancelled Christmas, FOREVER when handed a study plan during the last 10 days. Nat 5s and Highers are hard work. The advice given at different high schools in the Borders is very varied but the exams are the same! You should all be doing bits of revision from now – in addition to homework. Homework is given to help with your learning so it is required alongside studying.

The way I see it, you are going to work for 40 hours in whatever career you choose for the future. Very few people actually enjoy their jobs, so if you want those 40 hours to be enjoyed, you need to work hard during your S4, S5 and S6 years.

How much studying should I be doing?

A Nat 5 requires at least 3 hours of study per week – that is for each subject!

Higher subjects are hard work and require between 5-8 hours of study each week – again, for each subject!

What about a social life?

While it is really important that you get some exercise, and some down time there is a real problem with how S4-6, especially those doing several highers, thinking their social life should operate as before. You are doing subjects that contribute to your future – you need to put the work in for that! Very few people are capable of breezing through subjects, especially at higher level.

Get out and see your friends, enjoy your social lives when you can, but realise that for this school year, and potentially the next few years you, will be working hard studying! It is your long-term future we are talking about. If you are organised and use your time well, a social life can be part of that too.

Some of you have said that you refuse to study at the weekends despite sitting 5 highers, 4 highers and a nat 5 or some other mix which includes 3+ highers. Quite honestly, the only way you are going to do well in your subjects by taking that attitude is working really hard during the week. Even then, after the October holidays you will need to add some weekend studying and increase as you head towards prelims – they are about 18 weeks away!!!

Working while studying

A few of you have part time jobs, this is part of being a 16 or 17 year old – earning your own money. Please DO NOT work anymore than 10 hours a week during term time as this seriously affects your grades! Holidays in S4-6 aren’t really holidays either, they are for catching up on work – particularly those of you doing highers, so don’t take on extra work during school holidays, if you can help it.

Don’t dwell on past exam results

I know that exam results haven’t been out long, and they are likely to still be mentioned at home. Please, DO NOT dwell on your exam results, use them as motivation but don’t think about them constantly. If you have parents who keep going on about them 1. remember it was only 3 weeks ago they came out so they will be raw about your results, 2. show them this post – parents please don’t undermine confidence by repeatedly referring to the results during this school year, it doesn’t help and is counter productive and 3. YOU, yes you, the teenager reading this post – take responsibility for your own  learning and get stuck into your studying! If you need help with materials, ask! If you need help with planning your time, ask! If you need help knowing how to study, ask! These are your exam results, not your parents’ so you need to take responsibility for them!

You can do this, it just takes hard work! Here if you need a chat, in confidence – of course! You’ll be thankful come exam results day, promise…

 

 

Education – it is about each individual journey

Education – it is about each individual journey

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After a week of exam results across Scotland and England for lots of students, it has been an emotional week for many.

From a tutoring perspective, I always find exam results day really stressful as I wait to hear how all my students have done in each of their subjects. Of course, there are always those who do not quite manage to achieve what they had hoped as well as those who ace all of their exams. To help maintain a level of empathy with my students, I decided to sit 3 Higher subjects in 2013/14. Then, in the aftermath of the disastrous SQA Higher Maths Exam 2015, I offered to sit the exam alongside some of my students in 2015/16. So, this time last year I too had just received results. However, I have found this years result the most difficult yet.

It isn’t because I have substantially more students than before and it isn’t as though I’m not used to it after all these years. However, as I progress through my PhD thesis and undertake research projects in the different disciplines I’m involved in, I’ve realised how hard it is for our young people to feel like they are ‘not on the right path’.

The recent #nowrongpath campaign encapsulated the main underpinning of my thoughts. You may not get to where you want to be straight from school, however you will get there – if you are willing to put the hard work and determination in.

Tonight, I’ve heard that one of my tutoring students has been accepted onto their chosen course at university. I’m proud of all that my students achieve based upon their respective aims. This seems particularly special as it is a student who I ‘ve tutored for a very long time. Written off by teachers during the early stage of secondary school on the basis of disruptive behaviour, the background of which was something no young person should have to suffer. However, few took the opportunity to find out what the circumstances were before condemning the student to the ‘unteachable’ pile.

Let’s be honest, this pile should never exist. In Scotland we have the GIRFEC model which means we should Get It Right For Every Child. However, I can’t help but feel that often a spirit of negativity and an inability to see the best in each individual can really affect a young person’s future. This shouldn’t happen and we must do more to prevent young people becoming encapsulated in a downward spiral of inability merely because they go through a difficult time.

Working hard over a long time, having people who believed that the end goal was possible and supporting learning through positivity and determination has helped another student achieve what they have always wanted. Without that support of family, friends and others – this young person would not be where they are today. It is so important that we have an open dialogue with our young people and ensure that they know they have options in life, and different ways of achieving them – if plan A doesn’t work, then there is always plan B, C, D…

I’m a firm believer in it only taking one person to believe in you for you to be able to achieve what you are willing to work hard for.

Today I feel really proud that this wonderful student had the support to make sure their  academic potential was reached as well as becoming the amazing person they now are.

Whether you get straight A’s or go through several different routes prior to reaching your chosen career path – you will get there and there are people to help you – just ask! You are never too old to learn!

Hard work and determination really does pay off – I promise!

SQA Exam Results: Time to be Positive! How to View Your Results and What to do Next!

SQA Exam Results: Time to be Positive! How to View Your Results and What to do Next!

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Tuesday 8th August 2017 – a date that will pass lots of people without too much thought. However, for thousands of students, that date has been etched onto their memories since before they sat their exams in May. It’s SQA exam results day!!

The stress.  The time spent studying, day after day. The nagging parents (and tutor!). All for you to sit exams which you are brought up to believe are the most important thing you will do in your life.

While it is true that exams are important, they aren’t the difference between success and failure for the rest of your life. You decide whether your life is going to be a success, whether you sail through your exams with straight A’s or get a set of results which disappoints you. Only you know how much you understood, how much work you put in and how much you wanted to succeed in each subject. Therefore, it is only you that can reflect upon your work, effort and determination when you receive your exam results.

Little is said about reflecting upon your results. Reflection is something most of your parents will need to do on a regular basis at appraisals in the work place. As we grow up, we reflect upon everything – that is how we learn. This is how you should view your exam results – a learning curve from which you can use lessons to shape your future.

 

What to do when you get your results

Ok – it’s Tuesday 8th August and your results come through. Remember, this is an important day for you but your families also want to experience this day with you. If your results are straight A’s (which is much rarer than people realise), you may wish to spend some time telling friends and family. You should be pleased of your achievements and should celebrate them.

If your results are a mixed bag of the grades you wanted with some below your expectations, please do not be disheartened. Focus on the positives and remember that with some time to think about what you’d like to achieve, all is not lost. Celebrate your successes.

If the ‘worst’ happens and your results are what you constitute a ‘disaster’ then DO NOT PANIC. I’ve known many people over the years; friends, old students and even academics who have not managed to get the grades they required at school and have taken a few more years (in some cases 10-15 years) to get to where they want to be. Yes, it may be seen as easier to get your exams while at school, but I am a firm believer that if you want something enough – you will achieve it, regardless of your age!

My higher results caused me devastation back in 2004. As my family will attest to, the fact I only got one A grade was awful to me – I’d failed. However, I was the first person in my family to achieve highers. While they weren’t top grades by any means, I got myself into university, I got my first class law degree, started my own business and I’m publishing while working towards my PhD. I’m 30 in a few months, and I may not be in my ‘final’ job but I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’ve become more determined, more able to appreciate small successes along the way and thicker skinned. Ultimately, working with teenagers like yourself has helped me decide that I want to specialise in the rights of adolescents and children. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘what’s for you won’t go passed you’. So, regardless of your results, you’ll get there.

If your results mean that your university options are thrown into disarray, please do not panic – there are always options. You can speak to the university directly, or use UCAS Clearing. The road to success is never smooth for anyone, so this is merely a bump in the road.

Think of your friends

While celebrating all successes, please bear in mind that some of your friends may not feel particularly social over the exam results week. By all means, let them know you are there to chat if they want to. However, exam results are a very personal thing – if everyone got straight A’s the world would be a boring place! We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, so be supportive and not competitive with each other.

Friends are there to support each other so enjoy the rest of your school holidays as much as you can!

Parents and Family Support

Remember that stress you went through over exam time? Well, most of your parents went through very similar feelings. They instinctively want you to do really well in your exams so you have as many options in life as possible. However, they have no control over your results which is frustrating for them – and for you! Try not to get annoyed with your parents repeatedly asking if you are ok, or how your friends got on – just try to be honest with them.

Going forward – need a chat?

Having said that any set of results aren’t the end of the world, it is part of human nature that we tend to be hard on ourselves. If you want to talk, confidentially, about your results, or your options going forward then please get in touch. I’ve tutored for a long time and have helped tutoring students, and their friends around results day for many years. Sometimes having someone to speak to can make a huge difference and help you get that much needed perspective!

The Samaritans are also available if you find that easier.

Ultimately – remember that exam results do not dictate your future, unless you let them!

That said, in the words of Harry Potter:

 

‘Working hard is important.

But there is something that matters even more, believing in yourself.’

 

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Twitter: @tkirk039

Facebook: Tracy Kirk, Galashiels – I can pass out my number from a private message

 

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A note to parents and family: I know that you all want your children to achieve the best results they are capable of, so please be as supportive of your teens as possible. Focus on the positive results, the lessons learnt – which may be gradual over the next few weeks and month – please DO NOT make repeated comments about any ‘failures’ because it is this that they remember 10-15 years down the line. It’s not the fact they achieved a hard fought for B in Higher English, but the fact their Dad kept going on about that fail in Higher Chemistry. I’m about if any parent wants a chat about results and options going forward but please remember that it is really very difficult to build up anyone’s confidence, but especially that of an adolescent who wants to achieve so much with their life! Let’s keep positive, and look to options for the future. Solutions not problems!

 

 

An Exciting Project: Research For and With Young People

An Exciting Project: Research For and With Young People

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Recently I was lucky enough to be interviewed by a group of 14-16 year old young women. This group are working with Investing In Children (@IiC_Rights on Twitter) to come up with their own aims and objectives prior to developing their research skills to enable to them to conduct research into the development of women’s rights in the North East of England. The project, which has received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, sees a group of 14-17 year old young women examine how women’s rights have developed in the North East of England in the last 50 years.

The interview itself took place via Skype where I could see the six interviewers. I was asked lots of questions about my experience and what I’d like to do to help them in their research. I then asked them some questions about how they got involved in the project. Their stories were all different and they all had different questions they sought to find answers to in the course of their research. However, their passion was universal! My overwhelming message to them was that I was there to help them with their project and help them develop the skills they felt they lacked or needed help to improve. I wasn’t there to take over the project.

At the end of the Skype call, I felt enthused and excited by such a passionate group of young women who were looking to learn, expand their own knowledge and report back their findings to other young people as well as the wider community. Ultimately, they wanted to know how the rights of women in the North East of England had developed in the last 50 years, how women were treated previously and how this has changed, the changing conditions for women in prisons, amongst many other areas. Their passion was contagious and I felt extremely privileged to have had a reminder of how capable and amazing our young people can be, when they are given the opportunity to shine.

This privilege extended further when the young women called back to say they’d chosen me to help them undertake their research.

As someone who has worked with young people since I was 16 myself, I relish any opportunity to help them realise their full potential. This is different for every single young person, but each of them has the capability to do whatever they are given the chance to and I genuinely believe that if we empower every young person, they can achieve whatever they want to.

I’ll now work with the young people to help develop their capacity to allow them to undertake the research they want to, organise networking events and interviews so they can ask the questions which will aid them in their research. We are hoping to get a wide range of individuals involved in the process, from academics with a wide range of subject specialities to those who grew up in the North East and have knowledge they’d like to impart. Ultimately, the goal is to help this amazing group of young women enhance their social footprint and make a lasting impact upon the overall body of research done (a) in the North East of England, (b) in the field of women’s rights, (c) by young people themselves.

Passionate, articulate, intelligent and enthusiastic young people – who could ask for more?

 

 

 

Investing in Children seeks to promote the rights of children and young people through research and participation services. It’s reach is extremely wide and the large range of projects they have been involved in can be found on its website: http://investinginchildren.weebly.com

Show a little empathy and unity

Show a little empathy and unity

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Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Increasingly, I find myself frustrated by the lack of empathy shown towards others, and having discussed this several times over the last week, I felt compelled to write about it.
The last year has seen several examples of media propelled hysteria over photographs, which show the suffering of others. A picture showing the body of a little boy washed up on a beach near the tourist town of Bodrum in Turkey caused global outrage. Suddenly, people around the world were made extremely uncomfortable at the thought of little boys being killed as they sought to escape poverty and violence. This outrage only intensified as the identity of three year old Alan Kurdi became known, and more details of his family’s struggle to escape war torn Syria were revealed. How could we stand by and allow the suffering of refugees after seeing this picture? Didn’t we have a moral obligation to help those in such need?
Some countries pledged to take refugees from Syria, and other countries, to help with the explosion in human suffering. Many individual citizens sought to raise money, aid supplies and awareness of those who continued to fear for the lives of themselves and their families. However, the images of little Alan soon disappeared from our television screens, from our newspapers and from our minds! Crucially, the refugee crisis did not disappear.
Thereafter, the horrific attacks in Paris, Brussels and Istanbul took centre stage. They showed the worst side of humanity; the ability to indiscriminately kill innocent people, and threaten the democracies in which we live. Even as the events unfolded and the world came to terms with the horrific reality that these types of attack could occur anywhere, the trajectory of our empathy, as directed by the media, became clear.
While television and newspaper reports rightly highlighted how horrific these events were, they subsequently turned their focus to the suffering of those closest to home; British people caught up in the attacks. Although presumably illustrating the threat to British citizens at home and abroad, it arguably focused upon what we have in common with those caught up in the attacks; nationality. It is something that happens after any international event; tsunamis, earthquakes, plane crashes, terrorist atrocities…
Indeed, it is telling that our television screens and newspaper headlines largely focus on those events closer to home, instead of the over 900 terror attacks which have occurred since the beginning of 2016.
The aftermath of the European Referendum has provided another example of society highlighting the differences between citizens, instead of what should unite them; global citizenship. It has made me uneasy at the route we are taking globally, we shouldn’t need an element of shared suffering or vested interest before feeling empathy.
Having spoken to others involved with human rights research we collectively agree to feeling uneasy at the route some strands of humanity seem to be taking. No longer are we focused primarily on what unites us, but instead many are obsessed by what separates us; primarily country of origin, race and religion.
While I am not suggesting that we should all walk around feeling the weight of everyone else’s troubles upon our shoulders, it would be great if we were all aware of the struggles of others and willing to put ourselves in their shoes long enough to feel empathy. Empathy is a powerful emotion, and it is one that I currently value above almost any other.
The challenge, for those of us who want to campaign for the rights of others, is to continue to do so, even when the media is not highlighting the issue, or others deem our fight to be insignificant. The morality of rights is clear and important to those of us fighting for them. We need to use our shared enthusiasm to fight for rights. While their struggle may not be particularly newsworthy today, that does not mean that our commitment to highlighting their plight or defending their rights does not go on; their struggle is our struggle. Those dedicated to improving the rights of others, and ensuring parity between citizens should work together, now more that ever. Together we can work towards global citizenship and a sense of empathy, even if it is one person at a time!
Unity is something that is called for in times of terror, violence and disharmony in society, but is is something which should be promoted at all times, not as a last resort.
Children: Our Most Passionate Children’s Rights Campaigners

Children: Our Most Passionate Children’s Rights Campaigners

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Attitudes towards children have undoubtedly moved on significantly in the last century. From objects of concern who were seen as the property of their parents, to subjects and beings in their own right, our children’s place in society continues to develop. International human rights legislation, largely introduced after the atrocities of the Second World War, have always applied as equally to children as it does to those over the age of 18. However, the clear aim of such treaties was to prevent events like the indiscriminate murder of innocent people by leaders like Hitler, it wasn’t to further the rights of young people in society and challenge society’s attitudes towards them.  Nonetheless, in 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sought to provide a paradigm to underpin the special rights status which our young people are seen to possess. This convention is the most widely ratified, with only the United States choosing not to adopt its principles.

As welcome and crucially important as these international steps have been in progressing the collective, outward-facing attitudes towards children, I have become increasingly aware of the attitudes towards issues relating to children’s rights on a lay-person level.

Global Citizenship and Refugees in Afghanistan

My 8 year old son recently started his school topic on ‘Global Citizenship and Refugees in Afghanistan’. While some parents reacted in horror at the news that their child was going to be exposed to the horrors which exist in what they perceive to be another ‘world’, I was encouraged and enthused by the idea of my son learning more about the plight of other children. It was also good to know that my collection of child friendly ‘global citizenship’ and UNCRC books could help to educate another group of young people.

Having sponsored a little girl in Mozambique for the last 3 years, I have always been keen for Aidan to be aware of the plight of others who have less than us. For that same reason, we frequently give to a local children’s charity for disadvantaged children and go and speak to and donate to the lovely ‘Big Issue’ seller every week. I believe it is just as important for our young people to have empathy and a passion to help others as it is for them to have basic literacy, numeracy and social skills.

A few months ago, Aidan had been in the car with my granny (his great granny). Aidan had said that he felt sad about the refugees who were leaving their homes and dying while searching for safety. My granny had replied that it wasn’t our problem to solve and that their individual governments should do more. At 8 years old, Aidan said, ‘if I needed help, I would want someone to help me, so if we can help these people then we should’.

This is a conversation I would have avoided having with my Granny, and indeed with any of my family members. I have completely different views on these topics and sadly I don’t know many people out with academia who are passionate about promoting the rights of others. However, Aidan and other children like him are ready to have that conversation about rights and equality now. The suggestion that children don’t know what they are talking about simply because they are young, and haven’t spent as much time on earth is hugely misguided. In reality, they bring a fresh set of perspectives and judgement free opinions – this is something we should use to the advantage of society!

In reality, Aidan’s school topic has advanced his knowledge of the struggles faced by refugees and increased his empathy for those less fortunate than himself, while also boosting his literacy and love of books through the Michael Morpurgo book ‘Shadow’.

Children are our future

We could all learn a lot from the way our young people react to the suffering of others. Invariably, their response is to feel empathy for those less fortunate than themselves, regardless of the difference which adults perceive to exist. Whether focussing on children within our own jurisdictions or further afield, the UNCRC applies to every single one of our children. They are our future and we should learn from them.

We should use their wisdom and fresh eyes to further both their rights and our understanding of the issues which effect them – and by ‘them’ I mean all children. They are a collective group who largely have empathy for one another. We should encourage this and use it to shape our attitudes.

While many of us are passionate about human rights, and children’s right in particular, the most passionate and persuasive children’s rights campaigners are our children. We should listen to them, and follow their lead to help give them as loud a voice as possible, after all we are talking about the founders of the future – a powerful and influential group, if we let them be.