Rights and Responsibilities assembly for a church primary school

What are rights?

Dictionary definition:

Right - what is fair or just; something that people ought to be allowed. e.g. they fought for their rights

(Oxford Pimary School Dictionary)

Can you give some examples?

The United Nations lists the following categories of Rights of the Child:

• he right to a childhood (including protection from harm)
• The right to be educated (including all girls and boys completing primary school)
• The right to be healthy (including having clean water, nutritious food and medical care)
• The right to be treated fairly (which includes changing laws and practices that discriminate against children)
• The right to be heard (which includes considering children's views)

(UNICEF Rights Respecting School site: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Education/Rights-Respecting-Schools-Award/Childrens-rights/)

 What are responsibilities?

Dictionary definition:

responsibility: something you should look after and for which you are to blame if something goes wrong

Can you give some examples?

 Our responsibilities sometimes flow from other people's rights

Some possible Bible texts to discuss:

Philippians 2:5-8 - Jesus did not stand on his rights. He gave up his rights. He took responsibility for our sins.

2 Cor 8:9 - Jesus was willing to give up all the riches of heaven for our sake

John 13 - The washing of the disciples feet a picture of Jesus The Lord and Master giving up his rights to become a servant

John 1:11 - The responsibility to believe in Jesus leads to the right to become children of God

Matthew 22:21 - "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God" - responsibilities to the state and to others but an overwhelming responsibility to God. Caesar and all things belong to God. The coin and Caesar himself bare God' image since human beings are made in the image of God.

Matthew 18:21ff - The parable of the unforgiving servant - When we realise we have been forgiven by Jesus that will help us not to demand our supposed rights but to forgive others.

Any commandments (e.g. The 10 Commandments, The Greatest Commandments or The Golden Rule) could be treated as responsibilities.

Oh, and we should never forget the wise words from Spiderman: Spiderman: "With great power comes great responsibility"