Video: Canadian students challenge other schools to sign #UpForSchool

You’ve probably heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Now it’s time for “petition tag” – started by the students in Canada who are challenging other schools to stand #UpForSchool.

The girls and boys from Rideau Heights Public School in Kingston, Ontario, have made a fantastic video to promote the cause of education for all.

In it, they ask schools or groups watching the film to collect signatures and then pass it on to another school to do the same.

“Petition tag” was started after teacher Seth Barling heard about the #UpForSchool Petition, which calls on world leaders to keep to their promise to get every child in the world into school.

Students at Rideau Heights Public School in Ontario are #UpForSchool

He said: “On A World at School’s website I read that schools and teachers were being encouraged to take part in the movement. I decided that it fitted in perfectly with some of the important big ideas my class was learning about and our school has been trying to promote.”

Seth’s class had been reading the book Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Rim about a young girl in China who wants to get an education like the boys in her family.

He said: “The timing was perfect. I knew this was something I wanted to challenge our kids to take part in but more importantly I knew it was something they would appreciate and gravitate to.

“Our leadership group realised that to get people to care and want to join they needed think of some creative ways to drum up interest. They came up with the idea of organising some scavenger hunts based on the #UpForSchool teacher’s resource pack to educate the older students in the school.

Excited students at Rideau Heights with #UpForSchool posters

“They also organised a game of tag to bring the younger children together to spread the word. Finally, they started a big game of petition tag and made the video.”

The school has been sending the video to other schools in the city and encouraging its own students to sign #UpForSchool.

Seth added: “One of the students remarked that this whole experience has made them more thankful and appreciative for being in school. The students hope to make it so that every child will be able to go to school and have their opportunity to make a difference in the world.”

You can download our special teacher’s packs for schools in England, Scotland, Wales and the United States. They are crammed with lesson plans, real-life stories and ideas of how to get involved.