ABSTRACT

Recently, as a result of international treaties and domestic legislation, children’s rights have moved to centre stage. In Scotland, under the terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, those with additional support needs and disabilities (ASND) enjoy enhanced and legally enforceable rights, described by the Scottish Government as the most progressive children’s rights regime in Europe. This paper assesses the extent to which children’s rights have been prioritised during the COVID-19 crisis. Evidence is drawn from a qualitative study of the experiences of 16 families including a child with ASND during June and July 2020. We conclude that, particularly in the early days of the lockdown, scant regard was paid to the rights of children with ASND as education and care services were suddenly withdrawn. Existing inequalities were exacerbated, such as unequal access to IT, varying levels of support and differences in family resources. Families also reported some positive experiences, such as enjoying more time together and a release from school-generated stress. The paper concludes by arguing that the hiatus in educational provision is likely to have a negative impact on the educational progress and wellbeing of children with ASND, which will take determined efforts to rectify in the future.

抽象的

最近，由于国际条约和国内立法的结果，儿童权利已成为中心问题。在苏格兰，根据《 2016年苏格兰教育法》的条款，那些有额外支持需求和残障（ASND）的人享有增强的和可依法执行的权利，被苏格兰政府称为欧洲最先进的儿童权利制度。本文评估了在COVID-19危机期间优先考虑儿童权利的程度。证据来自对2020年6月至2020年7月包括ASND儿童在内的16个家庭的经历进行的定性研究。我们得出的结论是，特别是在禁闭初期，对ASND儿童的权利并未给予足够的教育护理服务突然撤消了。现有的不平等现象加剧了，例如获得IT的机会不平等，支持水平的不同以及家庭资源的差异。家庭还报告了一些积极的经历，例如一起度过了更多的时间，以及从学校产生的压力中解脱出来。本文的结论是，教育供给的中断可能会对ASND儿童的教育进步和福祉产生负面影响，这将在未来做出坚定的努力。