UNICEF presents the results of the ‘Schools for the Rights of Children and Adolescents’ programme

To mark the start of the new school year, UNICEF Italia is presenting the results of the last two years of the ‘Schools for the Rights of Children and Young People’ programme, which has involved over 1,000 schools, with 1,280 educators, educators and teachers enrolled on UNICEF training courses, and the creation of 133 Rights Planning Groups, through which pupils actively participate in school life. Enrolment for the new 2026/2027 edition of the programme is open until 19 October 2026.

“With the launch of the new edition of the Programme, we want to continue supporting Italian schools on a journey that places the rights of children and adolescents, and their active involvement, at the centre,” said Nicola Graziano, President of UNICEF Italia. “The data collected shows that investing in rights education yields tangible results: it raises teachers’ awareness, strengthens pupils’ participation and helps to build more inclusive and welcoming school environments. Schools are a vital setting for transforming the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into everyday experiences and opportunities for growth for the younger generation.”

An analysis of the questionnaires* completed by educators and teachers confirms the Programme’s positive impact on the promotion of rights, student participation and inclusion in Italian schools:

• Among the teachers who took part in the first year of the Programme, the proportion of those who stated that they had a good understanding of the main rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child rose from 57.7 per cent to 84 per cent. Furthermore, the proportion able to answer questions on rights with confidence rose from 48.2 per cent to 78.8 per cent, whilst the proportion who felt prepared to address these issues in the classroom rose from 44.9 per cent to 75.6 per cent.

• In schools that have completed the second year of the programme, pupils’ well-being at school and the quality of educational relationships have also improved: the perception that pupils can expect to be listened to and given attention by their teachers has risen from 66.6 per cent to 72.7 per cent, whilst the school’s capacity to support pupils facing socio-economic disadvantage has increased from 77.2 per cent to 81.3 per cent in the school’s ability to support pupils facing socio-economic disadvantage.