Claudia Calleja
Young children to learn their rights
The mascot Ġuġinu representing the king of the jungle will be going round the island talking to children about their rights. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.
A large, colourful trailer will be touring Malta's primary schools to educate children about their fundamental rights.
Children will be invited to hop inside the 52-foot trailer where they will be shown a short educational documentary to promote their rights, which include the right to have their say.
The two-week educational campaign, which starts on Monday, is organised by the Children's Commissioner to mark World Children's Day on November 20 and the 20th anniversary of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child signed in 1989.
The Ġuġinu Tour, named after the lion mascot of the commission, was aimed at familiarising children and young people with the important rights granted to them under the convention in a child-friendly way, Children's Commissioner Carmen Zammit said during its launch.
For the purposes of the campaign, she explained, five rights were being focused on as the most relevant to children in Malta: their rights to play, health, education, family and to voice their opinions.
While issues such as child abduction, labour and poverty were not so relevant to Malta, there was still the need to raise awareness on the basic rights of children.
"We need to help parents and children understand that children have a right to have their voice heard on several issues including cases of separation," Ms Zammit said.
Social Policy Minister John Dalli said children's rights should not only depend on what was listed in the convention. Children's rights were natural and existed before the convention was drafted, he said, adding it was the adults' duty to ensure these rights were respected.
The Ġuġinu Tour will run until December 1. The trailer will visit some primary schools during the week. On weekdays it will stop at several public places. On November 21, it will be at the Qormi market, on November 22 outside The Palace in Valletta, on November 28 in Nadur and on November 29 at the Ta' Qali National Park.
Children have a right to:
• Be protected by their government from all forms of abuse.
• Live with their parents unless it is bad for them.
• Be listened to by adults making decisions that affect them.
• Freedom of thought, science and religion.
• Access to information that is important to their health and well-being.
• Protection from all forms of violence.
• Special care if they have a disability.
• An adequate standard of living.
• Free primary education to develop their talents and personalities.
• Relax and play.
• Be informed about their rights.
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TONY FORMOSA
Nov 12th 2009, 07:31
*ATT. ALL THOSE WHO ARE CRITICIZING THE CONTENTS OF THE CONVENTION.
KINDLY NOTE THAT YOU'RE TWENTY YEARS TOO LATE!
TONY FORMOSA
TONY FORMOSA
Joseph Schembri
Nov 11th 2009, 18:19
"Freedom of thought, science and religion." Haha I want to see how this will be implemented in Malta with primary school children. What a ridiculous idea making children think they have the upper hand on adults. I think the boy to the immediate right, closest to the scary red thing (like something out of a Stephen King story) is crying. For me that is abuse.
Joseph Masini
Nov 11th 2009, 17:07
Although I partially agree with the fact that with every right, one has to learn also a duty, I personally think that our children are already bombarded by continuous mentioning of their duties- at home, in school, and other organizations. So, I feel that it's appropriate for children to finally learn that they too have rights. Let's not exceed the limit though.
E Grech
Nov 11th 2009, 16:58
has anyone ever realised that since we've started all this fuss on children's rights, children no longer know their responsibilities... Children's behaviour is increasingly deteriorating. When I was a child a teacher was respected and we never dared to answer back. What happens today? Children have rights and not only are they not being taught their respobsibilities well but they still do not know which are the rights they actually have. everything has become a right
Helen Gowen
Nov 11th 2009, 15:05
"Well Done for this Campaign" I will be encouraging my children to participate in this Campaign.
Darby Allen
Nov 11th 2009, 13:39
In the UK to-day everyone has rights, no one has responsibilities; please don't let that happen here!
Joseph Schembri
Nov 11th 2009, 12:48
Yes, go on spoiling children emphasising so called rights to the detriment of their obligations. Agencies who are doing this do so because they need to justify their existence and the money they are payed out of public funds. They are also very often the people who 'discover' cases of 'abuse'. The more cases of abuse they discover the more the public perception for the need of their existence is reinforced.
J Falzon
Nov 11th 2009, 12:06
I agree 100%. Indeed the emphasis should be on duty and not on rights ! This short-sighted over-compensatory approach is what has ruined modern youths. In fact I would go so far as to say that we should introduce a 1 or 2 year compulsory army service in the country so that everyone gets a healthy dose of discipline, which is so lacking today. The bonus is that youths get to learn useful skills, plus lead a healthy lifestyle, at least for those two years. Of course in our vote-chasing country, no one will ever have the guts to take up this suggestion.
MBorg
Nov 11th 2009, 10:45
It is right for children to be educated about their rights. However, care must be taken to see that these "rights" do not turn children into arrogant, selfish,spoilt human beings.
Why is it that in countries where the rights of children are being pushed to the limit eg. England ,we are getting children as young as five or seven who are already out of control.? With the state now admitting that some sort of discipline must be put back into the system.
Children should be taught that they are not the only ones who have rights. They should learn that instead of insisting for their voices to be heard it is better for then to listen to the voices of their elders. They should be taught that they need to respect others.
tony c forry
Nov 11th 2009, 10:24
* IT IS IMPERATIVE TO NOTE THAT THE UN CONVENTION (1989) IS NOT MERELY FOR CHILDREN AND KIDS BUT IT APPLIES TO ALL UP TO THE AGE OF MATURITY WHICH DIFFERS FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. WHAT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT IS THE FACT THAT THE CONVENTIONS SPEAKS ABOUT INFORMATION AND THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED, AND ALSO THAT THEY HAVE TO BE INTEGRATED IN DECISION MAKING GROUPS ESPECIALLY ON MATTERS THAT AFFECT THEM AND/OR THEIR FUTURE.
*IT'S HIGH TIME THAT THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IS MADE KNOWN AND THAT THE MENTIONED RIGHTS ARE EVENTUALLY IMPLEMENTED.
TONY FORMOSA
TONY FORMOSA
P. Montebello
Nov 11th 2009, 09:39
In every campaign, be it for children, consumers etc, we always hear about rights, rights and more rights.
Can we have another campaign about the OBLIGATIONS and DUTIES as well?
Please remember that one's right is another's duties.