CfP - Special Issue on Children's Rights and Education Aotearoa New Zealand
We invite submissions for a special issue focused on Children's Rights and Education. This issue aims to explore the role of educators in promoting children's rights and the social and political structures that impact these efforts. We welcome contributions from researchers and educators, including conceptual papers, original research, theoretical papers, and case studies.
Since ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) in 1993, New Zealand has emphasized the critical role education plays in maintaining children's rights. The landscape for realising these rights is complex. In 2023 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child observed that while most children thrive, too many do not experience the same quality of life as their peers and this limits their experiences in education. Educators have a long history of advocating for children's rights, ensuring every child is included, valued, and supported. Recent changes in New Zealand's education system, driven by shifts in government visions means less regulation and more accountability. New policies have significantly impacted teachers, families, and children as well as their communities. These changes highlight the importance of prioritizing children's rights in educational decisions and experiences.
This special issue is organized by OMEP Aotearoa, part of OMEP World, a global organisation focussed on children's rights. We aim to gather diverse perspectives on children's rights in education that address the challenges faced by educators. We look forward to your contributions to advance children's rights in education.
We welcome submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Indigeneity and Children’s Rights: Tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, peoples of the South Pacific, and alliances to UNDRIP & UNCROC
- Implementation and Impact: UNCROC and Education in New Zealand and the South Pacific, including recent political changes, initiatives, and curriculum revisions.
- Promoting Children's Rights: Strategies, practices, case studies, and examples of the role of teachers in advocating for and protecting children's rights within educational settings.
- Curriculum and Rights: The role of curriculum in supporting children's rights-oriented approaches to inclusive teaching and learning and initiative.
- Rights and Equitable and Inclusive Practices: Strategies, practices, or issues of rights including reference to UNCROC and UNCRPD.
- Cultural and Community Influence: The impact of cultural and linguistic diversity on children's rights and education and the role of communities in supporting integrated advocacy approaches.
- Broader Issues: Any other social, environmental sustainability, or political issues related to children's rights and education.
NZJTW is inviting contributions to this special topic in the form of
- Articles (up to 6000 words)
- Opinion pieces (up to 2500 words)
- Teacher reflections (up to 2500 words),
- Research overviews and Literature reviews (up to 4000 words)
- Book reviews (up to 1000 words)
Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline: 1st September 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: 31st October 2025
- Publication Date: November/December 2025
For further information and submission guidelines, please visit our website or contact the special issue editors at andrea.delaune@canterbury.ac.nz
NZJTW also invites contributions on any other topics that may be of interest to teachers and academics across the education sector from early childhood to tertiary education.
About the Journal
The New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work (NZJTW) is a free, open-access, peer-reviewed e-journal containing articles of interest to Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary teachers and teacher educators. The journal aims to disseminate New Zealand and international research on and by teachers and also other articles on current issues which may be of interest to teachers and academics in New Zealand and the South Pacific.