CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO QUALITY EDUCATION

 

“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.”
(Article 29 (1), Convention on the Rights of the Child)

Education especially children’s education should be focussed and directed towards specific goals some of which have been outlined in the Child’s Right Convention. I was strongly reminded of the ruinous and deplorable state of our educational system recently when a friend recounted the content of a discussion he overheard between two secondary school students to the effect that those who are able to solve quadratic equations are just very lucky. Our children’s education are paramount from the home primarily, to the religious institutions and to the schools and peer groups.

A quality education is an indispensable foundation for preparing the child for a responsible life in a free society. According to the General Comment of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, “the curriculum must be of direct relevance to the child’s social, cultural, environmental and economic context and to his or her present and future needs and take full account of the child’s evolving capacities; teaching methods should be tailored to the different needs of different children. Education must also be aimed at ensuring that essential life skills are learnt by every child and that no child leaves school without being equipped to face the challenges that he or she can expect to be confronted with in life. Basic skills include not only literacy and numeracy but also life skills such as the ability to make well-balanced decisions; to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner; and to develop a healthy lifestyle, good social relationships and responsibility, critical thinking, creative talents, and other abilities which give children the tools needed to pursue their options in life”.

Socrates in “The Republic” made an important suggestion on the education of children. According to him “A child cannot distinguish the allegorical sense from the literal, and the ideas he takes in at that age are likely to become indelibly fixed; hence the importance of seeing that the first stories he hears shall be designed to produce the best possible effect on his character”.

CULLED FROM: http://www.educationalresourceproviders.com/