Coercion and Consent in Schools

20th November is World Children’s Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It coincides with the launch of School Differently, a social movement which questions whether the English education system is fit for purpose…

This episode is the audio recording of an event that took place on 18th Nov 2020, in support of the School Differently launch and in recognition of children’s rights, hosted by Phoenix Education.

We drew attention to the degree to which young people are asked for their consent at school. How is coercion used to control the school environment and young people in particular, and what are the impacts of this? How might things might be different? Listen now to hear the panel as they share their thoughts, explore key questions, and take part in Q&A and discussion.

Panel:

Tumi led a participatory action research project called 'Breaking the Silence' with States of Mind. The two year research project explored students views on their experiences within education and particularly, the impact of the education system on young people's identity and mental health.

Amira Hamrat attends Summerhill, a school known as the oldest children's democracy in the world, and where young people aged 5-17 choose for themselves how to use their time, create the rules they need, and chair whole school meetings where problems can be raised and decisions made.

Simi Musa and Ava James attend sixth forms London, are co-founders of anti-racism campaign group Not a Trend, and are education activists participating in Changemakers' Lab. Changemakers' Lab collaborates with young people working towards changing schools and the education system to better meet their needs and rights.

Fran Morgan is the Founder of Square Peg, a Community Interest Company working to effect change for children who face barriers to school attendance and their families. Square Peg is working with Independent Thinking to launch School Differently and aims to connect groups and individuals who believe that the current education system is not fit for purpose

Jess Gribble attended Sands School, a democratic school with the slogan 'The Alternative Face of Education'. She has recently taken a masters at UCL's IOE, and has experience promoting student leadership practices from her career teaching in mainstream schools

Sophie Christophy is the CEO of Phoenix Education and co-founder of a consent-based and self-directed education setting for children aged 5-11