| CODE | EPE5021 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Children's Rights Policy and Advocacy | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit critically examines the United National Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) within the broader context of human rights principles and citizenship. Students will analyse the implication of the convention for policy and practice, focusing on local and European children鈥檚 policies and legislation, including the Children鈥檚 Act, utilising a children鈥檚 rights approach. Emphasis will be placed on comprehending children's viewpoints as citizens, their involvement in educational settings, familial contexts, and societal structures, and the essential function of advocacy in promoting children's rights. Students will critically analyse the complex interplay among children鈥檚 rights, theory, policy, practice, citizenship, and advocacy from four perspectives, focussing on the role of ECEC professionals in promoting meaningful child participation and agency. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit critically examines the sociology of childhood, focusing on how societal constructs influence children鈥檚 roles and rights within diverse contexts. It explores transformative children鈥檚 rights through the lens of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), utilising the UNCRC as a framework to promote children鈥檚 agency and voice. A central component is the analysis of political frameworks and legislation, including the Children鈥檚 Act, to understand their implications for children鈥檚 rights and wellbeing, with a specific focus on European and local policies. The study-unit also emphasises practical approaches to fostering children鈥檚 participation in decision-making and advocacy, equipping ECEC professionals to support children鈥檚 active citizenship and meaningful involvement in educational and social spheres. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Discuss the impact of cultural, social, and legal factors on the implementation of child participation in practice with a focus on local and across different global early years settings; - Identify and discuss the main pertinent legislation and international obligations on topics relating to status of the child, his/her rights, parental rights and responsibilities as well as professional responsibility; - Discuss and form an opinion on the desired status of the child and the actual status of the child within the local setting; - Analyse the diverse theoretical perspectives that shape our views of children and childhood across different socio-cultural and historical contexts; - Recognise the child as an active political agent; - Identify good practice examples of how the principle of child participation is effectively realised in various early years settings; - Describe advocacy strategies and tools that promote child participation within communities, legal systems, policy-making processes, and early years settings. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Research, interpret and illustrate how to respect and promote the rights of the child in their totality; - Critically engage with and apply multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks, including developmental, sociological, and post-structural approaches, and applying these critical thinking skills to other contexts or disciplines; - Analyse Early Childhood Education (ECE) policies to identify strategies for incorporating children's voices; - Critically analyse concrete examples from practice through the principle of child participation (UNCRC) is promoted in early years settings; - Propose and develop an action plan for promoting child participation in early years settings and/or young children鈥檚 homes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Archard, D. (2014). Children: Rights and childhood. 3rd Edition. Routledge. - Bonello, C. (2022). Boys, early literacy and children鈥檚 rights in a postcolonial context: A case study from Malta. Routledge. - James, A., & Prout, A. (2015). Constructing and reconstructing childhood. Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. Routledge. - Mallory, B. L. (2007). Advocacy and Leadership in Early Childhood Education. Praeger. - Mevawalla, Z., & Archer, N. (2022). Advocacy and activism in early childhood. Oxford University Press. - Mevawalla, Z., & Hadley, F. (2012). The advocacy of educators: Perspectives from early childhood. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 74-80. - Correia, N., Aguiar, C., & Amaro, F. (2023). Children鈥檚 participation in early childhood education: A theoretical overview. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 24(3), 313-332. - Smith, A. B. (2007). Children's rights and early childhood education: Links to theory and advocacy. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(3), 1-8. - Spiteri, J. (2024).Children's voices and agency: Ways of listening in early childhood quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research. Cambridge University Press. Supplementary Readings: - Malta, House of Representatives. (2023). Chapter 602. Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act. https://legislation.mt/eli/cap/602/eng. - Skauge, B., Storhaug, A. S., & Marthinsen, E. (2021). The What, Why and How of Child Participation鈥擜 Review of the Conceptualization of "Child Participation" in Child Welfare. Social Sciences, 10(2), 54. - Sturges, M. (2015). Supporting Child Participation in the Early Years of Education. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 2(1), 17-29. - UNICEF Innocenti. (2021) What Makes Me? Core capacities for living and learning. UNICEF, Fetzer Institute, Learning for Wellbing. - United Nations, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. (2004). Summary Record (partial) of the 33rd Meeting held at the Palais Wilson, Geneve, on Tuesday 9 November 2004) E/C.12.2004/SR.33 http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/c57a78b0f7e39878c1256f4f0048d9a7?Opendocument. - United Nations, Economic and Social Council. (2003). Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Initial reports submitted by States parties under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant Addendum. Malta. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,CESCR,STATEPARTIESREP,MLT,45377faa0,0.html. - United Nations, Committee on the Rights of the Child. Decisions, comments and Reports, https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/crc. - United Nations, (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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