Rights are like rules, or promises, about how people should be treated. They are important because they help make sure that everyone is treated fairly and kept healthy, happy and safe.
In Scotland, children and young people aged 12–15 have special rights that relate to their learning.
What are these rights?
Children and young people aged 12–15 have the right to:
- Be involved in decisions about their support
- Get help to share their views
- Find out if they have additional support needs (ASN)
- Get help with resolving disagreements about their support – for example through independent adjudication, mediation or the Additional Support Needs Tribunal
…and more.
Other rights
Children in Scotland also have other rights that affect them.
- The Equality Act 2010 is a law that protects pupils from being treated unfairly at school. It is against the law to treat someone unfairly because of their disability, gender, race, or religion
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a human rights law covering many different parts of children’s lives. In Scotland, this is now part of Scots Law.
For more information on children’s rights, visit the Your Rights section on Reach:
How My Rights, My Say can support 12–15 year olds
There are three main ways My Rights, My Say can help:
Children’s Views service
- This service works with children and young people to understand what they think
- A report is written and shared with the adults who make decisions about their support.
Independent Advocacy service
- Advocacy workers meet with children and young people to help them share their views
- They can attend meetings with them or on their behalf to make sure their views are heard and considered.
Legal service
- This service supports children and young people who want to ask the Additional Support Needs Tribunal to get involved in a decision about their support.
Where can I find out more about additional support for learning?
Enquire is Scotland’s advice service for additional support for learning and a partner in My Rights, My Say.
Reach is Enquire’s website for children and young people. It provides information and advice about children’s rights and support in school. It also shares real-life stories from children and young people about how different issues in their lives affect their experiences at school.