Empowering children's voices through a class treaty

Inspired by New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi and its emphasis on agreement and shared responsibility, the children at HazelGrove Early Education Centre develop their own ‘class treaty’ each year. This collaborative process has empowered children to become active participants in their learning environment, as HazelGrove’s Operations Manager, Anmol Lohia, writes.

At HazelGrove Early Education Centre, we recognise children as capable, confident, and active citizens of our community. We believe they are equal stakeholders in their own education and learning.

With this in mind, we set about developing our ‘class treaty’ during our Class Treaty Week (03 to 07 February) incorporating experiences and conversations that culminated in the official signing of the treaty.

By engaging in the class treaty process, children have learnt about the values of respect, responsibility, and collaboration—essential foundations for lifelong learning and community participation.

What is a treaty?

A treaty is a unique agreement reached through fair negotiation between equals. It involves mutual commitments to responsibilities, promises, and principles, fostering a lasting relationship based on shared respect and accountability.

The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), for example, was designed to be a mutually beneficial agreement, negotiated between Māori and the British Crown in New Zealand (Aotearoa). Signed on 06 February 1840, now known as Waitangi Day, the Treaty sought to define the terms of future interactions and build a lasting connection of mutual respect.

At HazelGrove, our philosophy embraces the power of democratic partnership, and our class treaty is a testament of how we put this belief into practice.

As the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 (2022) states: “Partnerships are based on the foundations of respecting each other’s perspectives, expectations, and values, and building on the strength of each other’s knowledge and skills.” (p.14)

Our intention was for our treaty to be a collaborative agreement that reflected our shared values and responsibilities in the classroom.

Why are rules important?

In the weeks leading up to signing their class treaty, children engaged in meaningful discussions, reflections, and debates around the topic: Rules and why rules matter? Ms Tania asked the question “What are rules and why rules are so important?” Everyone looked confused at first, then one child responded, “to ensure we are safe.”

Together we watched a video clip on our Smart Board, “Why rules are important” by MDR Bros on the Education Channel. Through watching Ryan’s day in the video, we realised a day without rules could cause many challenges as nobody would protect, clean and care for the environment. Everyone in the video believed no rules meant they could do whatever they wanted, plus they might hurt others' property, boundaries and feelings. The children responded to the video with comments such as:

"Oh no. His friend snatched his new bike."
"That's not fair."
"That's sad."
"Snatching is not good."

We shared how we felt about having no rules in the shared environment, and we all agreed that was not what we wanted. As a class, we wish to co-decide our rules and agree to follow them. These conversations have helped children understand the importance of agreements and shared responsibilities.

It's official: Signing our class treaty!

According to the Oxford Dictionary, signing a treaty is: “The act of officially agreeing to the terms of a treaty by putting your name on it.” 

To mark the annual celebration of the Treaty of Waitangi, and taking inspiration from this event, children and educators at HazelGrove decided to have a class treaty signing ceremony.

On Friday, 7 February 2025, our ceremony took place in our courtyard. We commenced our ceremony with our Acknowledgement to Country and stood up for the National Anthem; and then one by one, children shook hands with Ms Tania and put their name to the treaty affirming allegiance to the class treaty. What a special day!

The formalities were followed by a shared meal, reflecting the significance of food in Aboriginal culture. As Ngarabal Yugambal woman, Lesli Kirwan, says: “The act of sharing meals in Indigenous communities goes far beyond mere sustenance. It serves as a powerful tool for strengthening social bonds and maintaining cultural connections.” (Torrens University, 2024)

Class treaties and children as active decision makers

The EYLF V2.0 highlights the importance of viewing children as active participants and decision-makers in their learning:

Viewing children as active participants and decision-makers opens possibilities for educators to move beyond preconceived expectations about what children can do and learn. This requires educators to understand, respect, and work with each child’s unique qualities and capabilities. (p.8)

At HazelGrove, we believe that children are active stakeholders in their own learning. Therefore, it is essential that they collaborate with their peers and educators to co-create their treaty that guide their classroom community. This is in line with the concept of self-determination, which is “the ability to have power and control over your own affairs and your own life” (Deadly Story, n.d.). For Indigenous people, this is a human right recognised by the United Nations.

Classroom treaties are created through collaborative discussions where children work together to establish shared agreements about appropriate and respectful behaviour in their classroom. These agreements might include:

‘Walking feet’ in the classroom

Playing and taking turns with our friends

Packing away our toys

Wearing hats when we are outdoors

Treaties could also include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus such as ‘Caring for Country’.

For younger children, treaty agreements are often communicated through pictures, such as gentle hands, teeth are used for eating, reflecting the Reggio Emilia pedagogy of The Hundred Languages of Children where communication is expressed in multiple ways, including non-verbal cues.

Why are class treaties important?

Class treaties support:

Secure, respectful, and reciprocal relationships among children, educators, and families

Partnerships that empower children to have a voice in decisions that affect them

Respect for diversity, multiple ways of thinking, fostering collaboration and discussion

Equity, inclusion, and high expectations for all members of the learning community

Additionally, class treaties contribute to positive behaviour guidance, and helping children navigate social interactions with empathy and understanding.

At HazelGrove, we believe the class treaty process teaches our children valuable lessons that will prepare them for lifelong learning and active involvement in their community.