Education

The Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 28

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child and take appropriate measures
such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need;

(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means;

(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children;

(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a
manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in conformity with the present Convention.

3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in
particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world
and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. In this regard,
particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 29

1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

(a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;

(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

(c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;

(e) The development of respect for the natural environment.

2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to interfere with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions, subject always to the observance of the principle set forth in paragraph 1 of the present article and to the requirements that the education given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum standards as may be laid down by the State.

Education happens in many ways and in many places, for it is part of the human condition to want to learn. Learning offers all humans, including you and me, the chance to reach our potential. Discovering what our individual potential is, and then developing this potential is a basic function of education. The potential can be in any field of human endeavour, from the physical to the academic. In all instances the potential has to be developed through education.

Education begins from the moment we are born and continues throughout our lives, because it is a natural human process. We learn to walk and talk, we learn to interact with others and we learn to tell jokes, to name a few of the processes.

What skills we need to learn is determined, in general, by two things:

1. where we live

For all children, where they live determines what they learn. It determines cultural and personal identity, values, attitudes and beliefs and language spoken.

There can be positive education where each child's potential is developed or negative education where survival of the child is the main goal.

Review the facts in the introduction. What chance of a positive life would you have in Sao Paolo, Brazil or living below the poverty line in Australia, the U.S.A. and England or if you were one of the children running from rape and violence in their own home or sold into labour by their parents at age four, like Iqbal?

2. when we live

Each society has different needs and therefore different educational outcomes necessary for its children. Every generation has its own skills to learn. The skills that need to be learnt in modern European and American societies include reading, writing and computers. Yet 400 years ago reading and writing were not essential skills and computers did not exist.

There are many things we need to learn. Some are constant throughout time and others change. This is because society has different needs and therefore what is valuable to a society keeps changing. Therefore what is taught to children changes as the needs of society change.

Again the educational processes, in the time we live, can be positive or negative. What chance is there of developing skills in time of war where you are a child that lives in a war zone or has lost limbs through landmines.

The educational issues around the world are many. UNICEF Australia is undertaking a number of projects to help all children. Two projects, teacher training in Bhutan, and Birth Registration in Bangladesh reflect UNICEF's commitment to long term change for children. Projects such as these are important as they help children either enter school at an appropriate age or give the children quality education.

The issue of Rights of the Child is a common concern to all as children are nation's future. But in the society like Nepal, where a large percentage of people are languishing under chronic poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, mass illiteracy and gross ignorance, rural backwardness, starvation and diseases, social inequality and injustice, it is obvious why children's issues have taken a back seat. It is indeed a challenging task to venture towards the elimination of all kinds of exploitation and oppression of children and create a favourable and healthy atmosphere for them to grow up. But CWIN, as a pioneer organisation in this field, is committed to ensure childhood to all children in Nepal, starting however with the most vulnerable and at risk groups such as street children, child workers working and living in risk conditions, orphaned, abandoned and destitute children.

Source: Child Workers in Nepal.

Education is the most effective tool humans have to change the plight of all children whether they be in the U.S.A., Australia, Niger or Nepal, if they do not have equal rights and justice.

To case study of UNICEF Australia work in Africa

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This unit of work is a joint venture between UNICEF Australia and the Curriculum Support Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training.

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