Children's rights in, and to, the city: everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow

Journal article

Research in children’s geographies and connected fields has enhanced knowledge of children’s lives, spatialities, mobilities and socio-political agency in cities. Drawing on a small-scale project - co-constructed with a teacher in London and a teacher in Glasgow - this article contributes to this work through examining the relationships between education and children’s rights in, and to, the city. The research asked young people aged 11-12 years to draw/map their city and dream city, and to engage with a questionnaire about their rights in education and everyday life. Analysis revealed that the young people who participated valued the city in which they lived but wished to make improvements to make it more liveable for themselves and the humans and more-than-humans they share it with. The research found that young people actively considered (their own) lived citizenship when reflecting on their rights, and that whilst they had often been taught about their rights, many did not feel confident in sharing their views on things that mattered to them. The article concludes by arguing for further research to examine the relationships between how citizenship is conceptualised in (national) education policy and the curriculum making done by teachers, and how young people with different identities and in different places experience the relationships between their (lived) citizenship and what they learn in schools.

Authors: Hammond, L

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Journal: Children's Geographies
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 257-275
• Publication date: 2025-05-14
• Acceptance date: 2025-04-08
• DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2025.2499436
• EISSN: 1473-3277
• ISSN: 1473-3285
• Language: English
• Keywords: urban geographies; citizenship; schools; education; children's rights; children's geographies