The UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation.

The RRSA seeks to put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s ethos and culture to improve well-being and develop every child’s talents and abilities to their full potential. A rights respecting school is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

Children’s rights are central to all aspects of UNICEF’S, including education, and we use UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

as a framework for our activities. This sets out the rights of every person under 18 and how those rights should be met.

The Convention says that every child has:

• The right to a childhood (including protection from harm)
• The right to be educated (including all girls and boys completing primary school)
• The right to be healthy (including having clean water, nutritious food and medical care)
• The right to be treated fairly(including changing laws and practices that are unfair on children)
• The right to be heard (including considering children's views)

It's the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history.