Fair Play Wall Events

A series of training mornings for school councillors and their support teachers, Key Stages 2 and 3, focusing on children's voice, consitutions, policy and learning about how to be heard in local, national and global politics. You can see video clips, interviews and download teaching resources.

The Opening of the Fair Play Wall

With Tower Hamlets Deputy Mayor, lead councillor for Children's Services, lead councillor for One Tower Hamlets, Senior Registrar, primary school councillors and the campaigns officer for ACSTA, the Fair Play Wall was launched in celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday and as part of Black History Month.

The wall celebrates school councils and displays a 'Democratic Declaration' about learning about democracy and rights, with the support of the local government.

Click here to download the new 'Democratic Declaration' that quotes Barack Obama and the Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

 
Janusz Korczak - a children's democratic orphanage

The Education Officer for the Jewish Museum was interviewed and ran a workshop about the doctor who set-up the first national children's newspaper, campaigned for children's rights and ran a democratic orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto. In the orphanage the children ran their own courts. Part of Holocaust Memorial Day. This will be repeated on 26th January 2010.

What does a democratic school look like?

Prof Michael Fiedling from the Institute of Education presents an overview of the world famous state democratic school St Georges-in-the-East. Ran between 1945-55 by Alexander Bloom as a democratic co-operative school, that the government inspectors, HMI, said was the future face of modern education.

International Justice

Part of Refugee Week (to protect people from fear countries need constitutions and fair justice systems that are accountable locally and internationally), Geoffrey Robertson QC Human Rights Barrister and UN Judge, is interviewed about his work. The children look at creating open and fair voting systems, and discuss whether to put a world leader on trial (Charles I). All support teaching material can be downloaded.

 
Barack Obama - what can we learn?

As part of Black History Month and Local Democracy week there was a morning session exploring Obama's life and work to inspire school councillors. The children used extracts from Barack speeches to explore his role as an active global citizen. Gimbala Sankare, Public Affairs Department from the US Embassy was interviewed about himself, and Barack Obama. The Mayor hosted the children and teachers in his parlour. This was the largest primary school event at the Town Hall with 14 schools and 72 school councillors. Tuesday13th October, 10-12:30 at the Town Hall, Mulberry Place.

A whole set of resources, links, videos that explore Barack Obama as an active global citizen.

Secondary School Councillors interviewed the Assistant Cultural Attache to the US Embassy at the first Tower Hamlets Secondary School Council Conference on Friday 16th October, click here.

Portraying Children and Young People

Mary Riddell, journalist, Daily Telegraph Assistant Editor, and chairperson of the Children's Rights Alliance for England, explored what the press and media do with the image of children and how children can act as journalists to reclaim their image. This was part of celebrating and preparing for Children's Rights Day. This took place on Thursday 12th November at the Town Hall, 10-12:30. Click here for the children's Question Time.

General resources and downloads etc

For a set of great activity sheets that will assist in training your school council, produced by Wales, click here.

For video clips of activities, click here.         For case studies, click here.

For a case study, with activities, of a school council being trained to be a social enterprise, click here.

Teachers can find out more by clicking on 'info' below.