Realising Children's Rights in Schools: Challenges and Opportunities

Much has changed in Ireland and internationally since John Marcus O’Sullivan was framing the 1930 Vocational Education Act. In particular, thinking about children, their needs and rights, has progressed significantly. This is especially evident in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989). The ramifications of ratifying the Convention are far reaching. This paper links the UNCRC with schooling, proposing that the Convention is a useful lens through which to re-imagine schools. The UNCRC is also put forward as an ethical framework for engaging with a growing intercultural and multidenominational society. Secondly, some of the issues associated with terms like ‘multi-denominational’ and ‘interdenominational’ are explored. Finally, the concept of ‘curricular justice’ is proposed as arising from the UNCRC. Curricular justice, when linked to school size, is seen as presenting uncomfortable challenges