Children's rights and me: A starting point...

"There shall be peace on earth, but not until

All children daily eat their fill,

Go warmly clad against the winter wind

And learn their lessons with a tranquil mind.

And then, released from hunger, fear and need 

Regardless of their color, race or creed

Look upward smiling to their skies,

Their faith in life reflected in their eyes."

Dorothy Roigt

In January 2011, the United Nations report on children's rights in New Zealand was released in full to TVNZ. The questions and issues raised within this report, presented children's rights as a pressing social issue in New Zealand. It is apparent that these issues and questions raised directly concern early childhood education. 

With this report in mind I wonder,

• What does the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child consist of?
• What does this look like in a New Zealand context and does this convention effectively protect our children? 

 Children in a home for prisoners' children, Nepal

Photographer: Nikki Denholm

Also, in direct relation to early childhood education, 

• How well does Te Whaariki (Ministry of Education, 1996) reflect the rights of the child?
• How well do early Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 advocate and reflect the rights of the child?
• What are the implications of recent budget cuts to early childhood education regarding children's rights?
• What can individual teachers and teams do to advocate for and uphold children's rights within the early childhood setting?

It is in the coming posts that I aim to further explore the rights of the child. In doing so, I hope to answer these and other questions with regard to the New Zealand early childhood education context.

Breathe easy,

Mel.