A group of students from years 8 and 9 recently attended the inaugural Isle of Wight meeting of the Equality and Rights Advocates (EARA) group at Christ the King College. EARA was created by a school on the mainland to “Challenge the way both students and teachers think and view our world and our fellow inhabitants and aspire to reduce the discrimination that students of different groups face at school, whether it be down to their race, sexuality, appearance or lifestyle”.
The EARA group addresses many of the nine characteristics protected under the Equalities Act of 2010. They consider how prejudicial attitudes and behaviours towards those who share those characteristics impact on their school community. The group decides which aspects to focus on and discuss ways in which to advocate within their school.
The EARA Group’s aims are to:
Promote the Equality Act
Enhance pupil voice
Challenge discrimination and prejudice
Advocate for the rights of the child (UNCRC)
Encourage positive attitudes towards difference
Develop pupil confidence and life skills
Support vulnerable students
Increase participation and engagement
Our students were fantastic ambassadors for the school during their visit to Christ the King College. The group found the meeting very insightful and they told us that “The EARA group is a group that stands for children’s and young people’s rights, and for a safe environment in school, free of discrimination”.
Keep a lookout for updates about our group’s project!
