Role of Early Childhood in Enacting and Promotion of Children Rights - Article Example

Running Header: Role of Early Childhood in Enacting and Promotion of Children Rights Early Childhood Rights Name & ID Instructor’s Name 30th March 2010 Children are important in the society since they determine the future of the communities, and the development of these societies. However, it is paramount to ensure that children are provided with the right level of support to be modelled into fulfilling the societal obligations. The rights of children have been contested for periods because of it touching the raw nerves when the decision making of adults and actions are tested (Boshier, 2005). Freeman (1996) states that “Rights are entitlements, valuable commodities' which we 'do not have to grovel or beg to get” (p. 70). The rights of children in Australia are not brought into consideration as supposed to be since political and public support is not championed. In most instances, professionals and academics who are addressing child rights are forced to fight to ensure that they can achieve their aims. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) states that it is inherent to ensure that those countries that have ratified this provision should champion and implemented the rights of children. In the case of this paper, early childhood is defined as those individuals between the years of zero and five. Thus, the aim of the paper tries to explore on role of early childhood setting in enacting and promotion of children rights. The children rights that are considered include participation, protection and provision. Early childhood individuals have unique characteristics when compared to adults or older children. During the early childhood period, these individuals experience rapid growth and change that brings into consideration their nervous systems and maturing bodies, intellectual capacities, increasing mobility, rapid shifts in their abilities and interests, and communication skills (Early Childhood Australia, 2009). Moreover, the young children tend to be associated to the caregivers and parents emotionally, in that, these young children seek from them guidance and protection, require nurturing, and other strategies that ensure their growing capabilities are championed. At this age, the children start socialising and creating relationships with other children of the same age, and through these relationships, they learn to coordinate and negotiate shared activities, keep agreements, resolve conflicts, and partly accept responsibilities (QIAS Standards, 2009). This age also defines child foundation regarding emotional security, developing competencies, mental and physical health, personal and cultural identity. Generally, it means that at this age, an adult is moulded, and prepared to explore the world experiencing challenges associated with it (Early Childhood Australia, 2009). However, the issue of childhood rights especially those viewing it from participation rights e.g. focusing on the issue of political and civil rights are usually nervous (NSW Legislation, 2004). The people who are nervous of childhood rights perceive the idea of children having rights tend to be seen as being permissive, and that of giving the children too much control and power and at the same time, the control and power is taken away from the parents or caregivers. This ideological perspective is not productive since these individuals (parents, caregivers, public and government) place stake into consideration rather than facts. Australia ratified the children right Convention in 1990, which means that they are obliged to implement it (United Nations Treaty Collections, 2010). Since the government has ratified this Convention, and in most instances, it is not implemented (or partly implemented), stakeholders should force the government to follow these directives championing the requirements of children (Kohli, 2003). The Convention concurs that the children are best understood as social actors whose requirements (development, well being and survival) are championed by close relationships. These relationships are directly associated with those people who communicate with or to the children on nearly a daily basis (Early Childhood Australia, 2009). Cultural and social dimensions f early childhood defines varying expectations and arrangements in terms of education and care. Most children in modern societies develop in an environment that has multicultural communities, and in contexts that are marked by rapid social developments or changes in that expectations and beliefs about the child is changing including their requirements of rights (WebLaw, 2010). Three major rights have been defined in the Conventions, and many organisations and agencies supports these views. These three rights include the right to life, develop and survive, right to non-discrimination, and best interest of the child. Specifically the Article 6 of the Convention provides that child has a right to life and the government are obliged to ensure that the survival and development of the child is championed (Kohli, 2003). This means that the state is supposed to provide measures and means to improving on prenatal care for the babies and their mothers, reduce child and infant mortality, and create an environment and conditions that promotes the development and well-being of the child at thus critical phase of their lives. Contrary, the major factors that inhibits the success or realisation of rights in early childhood includes preventable diseases and malnutrition. The main concern of many states is to ensure survival and physical health of the child, but it is apparent that Article 6 brings into consideration development, psychosocial well-being, and child’s health is in many respects interdependent (United Nations Treaty Collections, 2010). Children are usually put at risk by neglect, adverse living conditions, abusive treatment, insensitive, and restriction of opportunities for realisation of human potential. This means that championing the development and survival of the child can only be addressed in holistic manner, and through enforcement of provisions that are in place, that includes social security, adequate nutrition, and rights to health, education, play, healthy and safe environment, and adequate standard of living (specified in articles 24, 27, 28, 29, and 31). Moreover, these articles (5 and 18) provide for respect for the responsibilities of the parents, quality services and assistance. Generally, it means that he children should be involved in activities that champions health wise, promote good nutrition, and disease-preventing lifestyle (Early Childhood Australia, 2009). Article 2 of the Convention provides for right to non-discrimination. These young children are usually vulnerable, which means that they are relatively powerless and they depend on others to achieve their rights. This means that the child should not be discriminated against on any ground. In early childhood, discrimination can take different forms that may include inadequate care and attention, reduced levels of nutrition, inhibition of views and feelings, and restricted opportunities for learning, playing, and education (UNICEF, 2010). Moreover, discrimination may be expressed through unreasonable expectations and harsh treatment, which may be either abusive or exploitative. For example, discrimination against girl child, children with disabilities, children affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS, discrimination that is related to personal circumstances, religious and political beliefs, caste/class, and ethnic origin or children suffering multiple discriminations (UNICEF, 2010). Additionally, it is important to ensure for best interests of the child in that all frameworks and approaches should factor impact of these legislations or policies to the child (NSW Legislation, 2004). This means that responsibility should be in place that ensures decisions and actions do not affect the well-being of the children while embedding their evolving capacities and views. Thus, the best interest should take the form of individual children, and constituency, or group of children (Kohli, 2003). To ensure that children rights are championed and are based on the Convention, it is important for the stakeholders to come together to ensure whatever is formulated is based on child rights. This means that the professionals who are working with children should advocate for them through proactively involved in recognising and responding to the rights of the child through changing systems and polices. Melton (1987) states that child advocacy increases child self-determination, raises the status of the child, accountability and responsiveness of institutions affecting them. Thus, the professionals are supposed to educate local agencies and government about the Convention, and utilising it to ensure children requirements are promoted. Child advocacy does not mean undermining the role of teachers, families or parents nor refusing children their childhood (WebLaw, 2010). Moreover, the Convention provides ethical and legal grounds that provides avenue in which the child rights can be improved. The Convention is utilised by many countries, which means that their diverse views can be shaped into achieving the requirements of child rights. Melton (2005) categorically states that “Not only is the Convention a nearly universally adopted expression of respect for children as persons, but it is also unparalleled in its conceptual breadth. No other human-rights treaty directly touches on so many domains of life” (p. 648). Hence, the Convention is a document is used to formulate Acts and legislatives that are applicable to each country or state. The support form states or countries are based on the fact that the Convention relies on dialogue, moral pressure, and cooperation rather than presences of strong enforcement mechanisms. Freeman (1996) references the Convention especially article 12, which he states that it recognises children’s autonomy and personality “children as people and not just objects of concern”, and that the views of children should be brought into consideration. This means that the articles appreciates and respect children as full human beings with dignity and rights, and thus respect should be accorded to their identity (Byrnes, Charlesworth & McKinnon, 2009). From this understanding, it is important for states and regions to appropriate the measures that are in place actively involve professionals, parents and other responsible authorities in formulation of opportunities for young children to progressively exercise their rights within daily requirements. In addition, in formulation of policies and legislations, those are relevant to their settings, and which may include training in the necessary skills that would improve their developmental requirements (United Nations Treaty Collections, 2010). This means that the parents and other stakeholders should cultivate skills of participation, which includes listening to young children, adopt child-centred attitude, and to respect their uniqueness and dignity. Moreover, the family may determine the direction and quality of service that a child receives. The Convention defines a family as “the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children”. Thus, the family members should cultivate a culture of appreciating young children, providing appropriate guides and ensuring that the child understands what is required from them (Kohli, 2003). Generally, childhood rights links childhood studies theory with developments in the society. It provides a means in which positive changes in early childhood are championed and embraced into the society. Numerous disciplines should be brought together to ensure that the safety and security of the child is maximised, and these disciplines can be used to transform weak policies to those that champions childhood rights. Thus, professionals and other stakeholders are supposed to use the Convention proactively to ensure and advocate states and government for childhood reforms. Nevertheless, from some quarters, there is resistance to the concept of childhood rights, and thus it is crucial for early childhood professionals and researchers to advocate for them, and maximise utilisation of the Convention and other statutes. The Convention has clearly defined a child and shown that children are important constructs in society since they are social agents and actors, rather than the usually vulnerable and passive recipients of interventions, which are also compatible to Childhood Studies theory. Generally, it is important to understand e role of early childhood setting in the enacting and promotion of children rights as illustrated in this document. Matters such as non-discrimination, survival, and better life for the children should be championed. References Boshier, P. F. (2005). The Care of Children Act: Does it enhance children's participation and protection rights? Childrenz Issues, 8(2), 7-19. Byrnes, A., Charlesworth, H. & McKinnon, G. (2009). Bills of rights in Australia: history, politics and law. Sydney: UNSW Press. Early Childhood Australia. (2009). Code of Ethic. Retrieved from https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#sent/1279d76a84343b65 Freeman, M. (1996). The importance of a children's rights perspective in litigation. Butterworths Family Law Journal, 2(4), 84-90. Kohli, H. (2003). Law and illegitimate child: from Sastrik law to statutory law. Sydney: Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. Melton, G. (1987). Children, politics and morality: The ethics of child advocacy. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 16(4), 357-367. NSW Legislation. (2004). Children Services Regulations 2004. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fullhtml/inforce/subordleg+260+2004+FIRST+0+N Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – the Convention. (2010). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm QIAS Standards. (2009). QIAS Publications. Retrieved from http://www.ncac.gov.au/resources/qias_pub.asp UNICEF. (2010). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/ United Nations Treaty Collections. (2010). 11. Convention on he Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11&chapter=4&lang=en WebLaw (2010). Children & the Law. Retrieved from http://www.weblaw.edu.au/display_page.phtml?WebLaw_Page=Children+%26+the+Law Read More