FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION :: CATEGORIES OF CHILD RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHILD RIGHTS CONVENTION.

Motherhood is the greatest gift God gave to womankind, to know that we are instruments in God’s Creation, to know that we participated in God’s purpose and plan. Carrying a baby in our body for months and then growing them is a full-time responsible job. Motherhood is life, and hopes, and dreams; it is failures and disappointments, repentance and forgiveness. Women is a special creation of God who is bestowed with this beautiful quality of growing the future in her arms. A salute to all the mothers out there and to the mothers reading this blog of mine.

 Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Children are one-third of our population and all our future. The best inheritance we as parents could give to our children is a few minutes of our time each day, for children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. They are the future leaders.

Children are very precious beings. They are innocent, transparent and open to life fully. All the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children. While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about and how to find the wonders in everyday life; how to be thrilled by simple stories of the elderly uncle next door; how to experience heart-felt laughter at silly antics; how to be joyful again.

It is distressing that many children of today are robbed of their innocence by damaging influences within their lives or from the outside world. Some are forced to grow up too soon and face a risky future. Some are troubled by the breakdown of family life or peer pressure. Today we are going to discuss few very important things which we as parents and responsible citizens must know. 

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was the first instrument to incorporate the complete range of international human rights— including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights as well as aspects of humanitarian law.

The articles of the Convention may be grouped into four categories of rights and a set of guiding principles: Survival, Protection, Development and Participation.

I. RIGHT TO SURVIVAL

Due to poverty and lack of access to basic social services, more than 10 million children under the age of 5 die of malnutrition and preventable diseases. Complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, maternal anaemia and malnutrition kills more than half a million women and adolescents each year. To counter this the United Nations have given a declaration saying, 'A World fit for children'. 

According to this, measures are taken to break the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition, poor health. Providing better facilities including adequate water and sanitary facilities. Providing access to effective, equitable, sustained and sustainable primary health care systems in all communities, to ensure the survival of child. The convention on the rights of the child incorporated the following articles:

*Article 6: It says that, it's the right of every child to life.

*Article 7: The child shall be registered after the birth. He/she acquire a Nationality and he/she has the right to know and cared by his/her parents.

*Article 8: State parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his/her identity, including Nationality, name and family relations.

*Article 20: A child permanently or temporarily deprived of his/her parents have the right to be in special protection.

*Article 21: State parties should recognize the provision of adoption in the best interest of the child. 

*Article 24: Child has a right to have the best of medical facilities.

*Article 26: State parties should ensure the provision of social security including the social insurance. 

II. RIGHT TO PROTECTION

Millions of children are suffering and dying from violence, war, exploitation, abuse and discrimination. Children around the world live under different circumstances like being permanently disabled or seriously injured by armed conflict, some driven from countries to other countries as refugees. 

Suffering from manmade and natural disasters, trafficking, smuggling, sexual abuse, abduction as well as economic exploitation. The convention on the rights of the child incorporated the following articles:

*Article 19: State parties will take measures to protect child.

*Article 20: Special protection in case of permanently or temporarily deprived of parents.

*Article 22: A child under refugee status is as per International and Domestic Law.

*Article 32: The child to be protected from Economic Exploitation.

*Article 33: The child to be protected from illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

*Article 34: The child to be protected from Sexual exploitation.

*Article 35: The child to be protected from Abduction.

*Article 36: The child to be protected from Exploitation prejudicial.

*Article 37: No child should be ever subjected to torture or punishment.

*Article 38: State parties to respect the rules of International Law in case of armed conflicts.

*Article 40: State parties to recognize the 'Right of child' accused as infringed the penal law.

III. RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

Development of the child can happen only if he/she is provided with education and a good health. If we need a world fit for the children, they should get the best access to education including the Primary Education. 

Primary education is free and compulsory and providing atmosphere for the children to develop their capacities in a safe and supportive environment. There is need to promote physical, psychological, social, emotional, spiritual, cognitive and cultural development of children as a matter of national and global priorities.

Chronic poverty is one of the biggest obstacles in this path. Globalization is having a positive impact on the development of certain sections of the society. There is need to develop measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girl child. For the healthy development of the child environmental problems like global warming, ozone layer depletion, soil erosion, depletion of water, hazardous waste etc needs to be addressed. 

The convention on the rights of the child incorporated the following articles:

*Article 23: State parties to ensure that a mentally or physically disabled child enjoys a decent life. 

* Article 24: The right of the child to have proper Medical facilities.

*Article 27: Right to have a standard of living adequate for the Development of child.

*Article 28: Right of the child to Education.

*Article 29: State parties must agree that education is mandatory for the all-round development, talents and personality etc.

IV. RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION

For the well-being of the children with their protection, survival, development, it is also important to help them express freely. Expressing views freely according to their capacity and self-esteem. They should acquire knowledge and skills for conflict resolution, decision-making and communication, to meet the challenges of life. The right of the child to express themselves freely must be respected and given due weight accordance to age and maturity. They have lot of creativity and energy, it must be channelized properly. Disadvantaged and marginalized children need special attention and support to access to basic services, to build self-esteem and to prepare them to take responsibility for their lives. 

The Government, Local authorities, NGO's, Parliamentarians, Legislators, Mass media, co-operative and private sector must work on providing this information/ resources of the presence of such rights to parents, children and guardians. Micro credits are a very helpful resource provided by the cooperate and private sector. 

The convention on the rights of the child incorporated the following articles:

*Article 12: The State parties must give due importance or weight to the views of the child accordance with age and maturity.

*Article 13: The child has right to express freely. 

*Article 14: The child has right and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

*Article 15: The right of the child to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.

*Article 17: The child has the right to access mass media, information and material from a diversity of National and International sources.

*Article 31: Right to rest and leisure and undertake recreational artistic activities.

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHILD RIGHTS CONVENTION:

The Convention on the Rights of the child lays stress on providing quality education to children throughout the world. It feels education can reduce poverty, child labour and promote democracy, peace, tolerance and development. 

Currently more than 100 million children of primary school age, majority being girls are not enrolled in school. The reasons for this being teachers are mostly untrained and underpaid teachers, overcrowded, unhealthy and poorly equipped classrooms. 

One-third of all children in school do not complete even five years of schooling which is the minimum required for the basic literacy.

To achieve the following should be aimed:

1. Early childhood care and education should be expanded and improved.

2. Out of school children should be reduced and proper education should be provided.

3. Gender disparity should be eliminated.

4. All aspects of the quality of education should be improved including in the recognizable and measurable learning out comes especially in numeracy, literacy and essential life skills.

5. Meeting the learning needs of the children through access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes.

The following Articles in the Convention on the Rights of the child stress the need for 'Quality Education' to the child.

Article 17: The State parties should recognize the important function performed by the mass media and should ensure that the child have access to information and material from a diversity of National and International source, especially those aimed at the promotion of his/her social, spiritual and mental health. In this regard, State parties should encourage the dissemination of information in accordance with the spirit of Article 29, dissemination of children's books, fulfil needs of the child belonging to a minority group. Protection of the child from information and material injurious to his/her wellbeing as per the provisions of Article 13 and 18.

Article 28: The State parties recognizes the Right of the child to education and with a view to achieving this right progressively and based on equal opportunity. It makes primary education 'Free and compulsory' to all. Development of different forms of secondary education including general and vocational education. Make higher education, vocational information accessible to all. Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates, teaching aids, resources, elimination of ignorance, illiteracy, access to scientific and technical knowledge. Maintaining discipline and encouraging International cooperation.

Article 29: The State parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

a) Development of the child's personality, talents, mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. 

b) Development of respect for Human rights and fundamental freedoms.

c) Development of respect for the child's parents, his/her own cultural values, language, identity etc.

d) Child to be prepared for a responsible life in a free society in the spirit of peace, tolerance, understanding, gender equality etc.

e) The development of respect for the Natural environment.