Realising Children's Rights in Schools: Challenges and Opportunities

2018

This chapter, through the lens of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, reviews whether we are actually creating world in which children’s development needs are recognized and met. The principle focus of the chapter is each child’s right to an education. In particular Articles 28 and 29 of the UNCRC are highlighted to provide a benchmark against which to consider education provision in multiple international contexts. Reference is made to the UN Millennium Declaration, the eight Millennium Development Goals and the UNICEF report “The State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance for every child” to enable examination of how a world fit for children is being achieved or not. From examination of the aforementioned reports, three imperatives emerge: economic, education and moral. These imperatives challenge the reader to consider how legislation and policy works towards or hinders the goal of creating a world in which all children are enabled to reach their full potential.

1998

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that every child has a right to education. The purpose of education is to enable the child to develop to his or her fullest possible potential and to learn respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The general principles of the Convention which are relevant to education cover non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the child’s right to life, survival and development, and the child’s right to express opinions. These principles can serve as a useful instrument in discussions on how to reform schools. This paper analyses, in the light of the Convention, eight areas for progressive reform: universal access, equal opportunities, the appropriate content of education, cultural roots and global values, new methods of learning, mutual respect, pupil participation, and the role of teachers, parents and the community. It also examines the problems both of implementing and of paying for such reform. The author concludes ...

2014

Journal of Philosophy of Education, 2008

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is presented and understood as the primary reference point regarding questions of children's rights. However, the UNCRC is not a neutral instrument deployed to meet the rights of children: it embodies a specific perception of the child, childhood and citizenship. The interpretation of the UNCRC from the point of view of children's legal status emphasises the autonomy of children; the focus is on the rights that children possess. Conversely, the social-political interpretation of the UNCRC addresses the question of how the rights of children can be realised. It is suggested that distinguishing between these interpretations is essential with regard to questions of pedagogy and education.

SSRN Electronic Journal

All children around the globe, no matter where they come from, have the rights to education, rights to health, rights to nutritive diet, rights to water, rights to care, and all other rights associated to human. Children who have the access to their rights grow as an independent individual who can break through the cycle of poverty be empowered to take their future into their own hands and play an active part in shaping it. But, how is the situation to the deprived children? It is obvious that they even do not think at all about these basics rights, but rather struggles on the most important things for them to survive, such as food. This article will ponder on this matter through an assessment from different sources, in an explanatory analysis focusing on; Humanitarian agencies working with vulnerable children, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) and charities; in order to observe the handling of the children's rights and navigate on how the problem have been advocated or addressed by researchers. And most importantly calling different groups and individuals to participate on supporting heartedly for the vulnerable children.

If we are to nurture and strengthen democracy and build a secular society in India, participation by all as equal citizens is imperative. In this regard, education of the whole population is essential. Although the transformation of a country from a high level of illiteracy to one of near universal literacy cannot be achieved overnight, the fact remains that the status of a child going to school contrasts sharply with that of a full-time worker, even in a situation of low literacy levels. The school going child is treated primarily as a student and any work performed by him/her cannot be at the expense of his/her school activities. In other words, it is accepted that the primary activity of the child is that of a student and not a worker. Therefore, any programme to increase literacy levels among children must necessarily also be a programme to reduce the incidence of child labour. The two objectives are contingent on each other.

2012

The road to economic growth and development cannot be achieved if the rights and obligations of the child are not ensured. The current plight of the global economy is the gap between the child and society. The rule of thumb is that both parties have to accept that ‘it is a give and take issue’. The child has to know that, as long as these stakeholders are providing him/her the expected recommended rights, this should be reciprocated with the expected recommended obligations. The specific aspects of concern are society’s satisfaction of the rights of the child to basic needs, education, health care, tolerance and compensation for efforts. The rights mentioned matches in line with the overarching principles established by the United Nations. This Overarching principle stressed that,’ society should leave no child out, put children first, care for every child, fight HIV/AIDS, stop harming and exploiting children, protect children from war, protect the earth for children, fight poverty, invest in children and listen to the child’.