Foreword
Plan’s vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies that respect people’s rights and dignity. As a global organisation with a presence in 50 developing countries, Plan contributes significantly to making this vision a reality for many children around the world. Our work cannot be achieved without the engagement of young people both here in Australia and overseas. Our approach to poverty alleviation is through working with children, families, communities, governments, civil society and the private sector to ensure the realisation of child rights. As teachers and educators you know that children can grow to their full potential through realising their right to survival, development, protection and participation.
This teacher’s guide is a development education resource to assist in the teaching of global education, specifically in the context of social justice and human rights. The main focus of this guide is child rights and how putting children at the centre of community development can have lifelong positive impacts – not just for children but for the entire community. Through the realisation of child rights, a better and more just world can be achieved for all. Every one of us, young and old, needs to be aware of our rights and responsibilities as we take on the role of global citizens in this increasingly interconnected global world. I strongly recommend that teachers take up this guide as a valuable resource for introducing and exploring the concept that children everywhere have specific human rights, just for them. I hope you find it interesting and engaging in your classrooms and that it becomes a standard resource within the curriculum. Yours sincerely
Ian Wishart CEO, Plan International Australia
Contents Introduction
4
Child Rights in the Australian Curriculum
5
Suggested Inquiry Sequence
6
Module 1 - Exploring Rights
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United Nations Convention on The Rights of the Child (CRC)
8
Module 3 - Exploring the CRC 26
Session 1.1 Child Rights are Human Rights 10
Session 3.1 The Right to Shelter
26
Session 1.2 Child Rights
Session 3.2 The Right to Water
30
Session 3.3 The Right to Food
34
Session 3.4 The Right to Healthcare
38
Session 3.5 The Right to Education
42
Session 3.6 The Right to Play
48
Session 3.7 The Right to Protection
52
Session 3.8 The Right to Participation
56
Useful Websites
63
14
Module 2 - child poverty
18
Session 2.1 How is Child Poverty connected to Child Rights?
18
Session 2.2 Child Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
22
Appendices
60
Appendix 1: CRC Quick Reference
60
Appendix 2: Pictures for Session 3.1
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Appendix 3: Consequences Chart
62
Copyright
Production
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for noncommercial educational purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source and this copyright notice. No commercial use, including offering the publication for sale, may be made of this work without prior written permission. Reproduction for purposes other than non-commercial educational purposes requires the written permission of Plan Australia. Requests and inquiries concerning this publication should be emailed to info@plan.org.au.
Author: Megan Bourke, Education Consultant
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of sources used in this publication. If accidental infringement has occurred, please contact the publishers.
www.plan.org.au
Project Management and Production: Jenny Riley and Elise Willersdorf, Senior Community Engagement Advisors at Plan Editorial Management: Charlotte Strong, Senior Communications Advisor at Plan Design and creative: Boheem Published in 2011 by Plan International Australia
Acknowledgements Plan wishes to acknowledge the following people and organisations for their valued contribution to this publication:
Cover images from top left: 1. Girl at pre-school in Laos. 2. Boy from Guinea washing face at water pump built by Plan. 3. Girl from Senegal speaking on child marriages. 4. Plan youth delegates attend the Girls Delegation launch of UN women at the General Assembly in America. 5. Girl eating lunch at a hostel set up by Plan partner organisation in Nepal. 6. Local school children in Peru take part in activities about child protection. 7. Photo taken by participant in Plan photography project of boy working in grocery stall in Bangladesh. 8. Girl gets interviewed by school reporter in Bolivia.
Children’s right to health: hand-washing is a key activity in Plan’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene program in Uganda. Here, Ugandan school children wash their hands with a simple ‘tippy tap’ that is easily and cheaply constructed with local materials.
Megan Bourke; Holly Doel-Mackaway (Technical Advisor on Child Rights Consultant); the team from Boheem Design; Robert Fisher; Matthew Keeley; Catherine Branson; AusAID; Geography Teachers’ Association of Victoria; Michelle Hanger, Stephanie Morton, Margaret Young and their Year 5–8 classes who kindly agreed to review the first draft and trial activities and Charlotte Gourley (Youth Participation Coordinator) and Christie Long (Communications Officer) from Plan International Australia for assisting with final drafts.
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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Introduction At the core of understanding global citizenship is the knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of all human beings. This perspective recognises that all people, including children, are equal and have the right to fair treatment and dignity. These rights are enshrined in various United Nations Human Rights conventions. Of the 6.8 billion people on earth, 2.2 billion are children. Of this number, 1 billion (nearly every second child) live in poverty. Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of people not being able access their basic rights and for children this has lifelong development impacts. Ensuring the realisation of rights for our youngest global citizens is essential for their development, the wellbeing of their families and communities and the sustainable development of our world. This guide has been designed for educators teaching Australian children aged between 10–13 years. The aim is to provide educators with the opportunity to introduce the concept of child rights and responsibilities in a global context to Australian students. Engaging children in the topic of child rights through deep inquiry learning that links their own experience to the experience of other children can be powerful and effective. Such an exploration can assist children to understand poverty from a rights perspective and instil the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be active global citizens in an interconnected global community.
The guide is presented in three modules: Exploring Rights, Child Poverty and Exploring the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Each module is presented as a collection of individual sessions that follow a similar format. The guide has been developed to be taught in its entirety over several weeks, however each module could be individually incorporated into broader units of work. Module 1 provides an overview for the educator on the links between human rights and child rights and the global necessity for children to access their rights in both developed and developing countries. Module 2 investigates the concept that child poverty is both a cause and a consequence of children not accessing their rights. The Millennium Development Goals, which best illustrate child poverty and closely relate to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, are profiled. Module 3 explores the detail of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is closely aligned to the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’ (www.vimeo.com/26093407 or on the CD version of this resource). All sessions include the following:
What do I need to know as an educator?
This section is designed to set the contextual background to the teaching and to deepen professional knowledge.
‘Teacher as learner’ inquiry
This section includes reflection questions to enhance understanding of how human rights, child rights and child poverty are interrelated.
‘Ready to use’ lesson plans Girls play in grounds of vocational training centre in Brazil.
These are age-appropriate, interactive and engaging plans for use in the classroom.
Activity sheets for use in the classroom.
Designed to be photocopied or displayed on an interactive whiteboard, these sheets provide a series of stimulus activities and deeper inquiry opportunities for students.
4
Common Threads
We hope that this resource leads to valuable conversations and learning in the classroom. We welcome any feedback on the resource and this should be directed to info@plan.org.au
Child rights in the Australian Curriculum The multi-layered structure of the emerging Australian Curriculum lends itself to excellent opportunities for inquiry learning by young people in the middle years of schooling. The work in this guide is directed by the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, the latest materials available from the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority website and Global Perspectives – a framework for education in Australian Schools published by the Curriculum Corporation. The Melbourne Declaration commits “to supporting all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens”, and to promoting equity and excellence in education. The Australian Curriculum will “equip all young Australians with the essential skills, knowledge and capabilities to thrive and compete in a globalised world and information rich workplaces of the current century.” (ACARA accessed, 8 July 2011). Further to these outcomes, Global Perspectives – a framework for education in Australian schools states amongst other important learnings that “Global education provides...... affirmation of social justice and human rights and promotes open-mindedness leading to new ways of thinking about the world.” From the general capabilities to be addressed in the Australian curriculum, the following six can be found across the learning activities found in this resource:
Thinking skills Creativity Teamwork
Intercultural understanding Ethical behaviors Social competence
Of the three cross-curricula priorities prescribed in the Australian Curriculum documents, two of these are addressed to ensure that young Australians learn with the inclusion of:
An indigenous perspective A commitment to sustainable patterns of living Skills, knowledge and understandings related to Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia. Teaching and learning about child rights allows explicit reference to these capabilities and cross-curricula perspectives. The Suggested Inquiry Sequence on pages 6–7 indicates specific links to specific pedagogy.
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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Suggested Inquiry Sequence Inquiry topic
Learning Areas in the Australian Curriculum
General capabilities curriculum priorities
and cross
Resources in this guide
Lesson time allocation
MODULE 1: Exploring Rights 1.1 Child Rights are Human Rights
Humanities
Thinking skills Teamwork Creativity Intercultural understanding Social competence A commitment to sustainable living patterns
Intercultural understanding A commitment to sustainable living patterns
Activity 1: All children need...
50 minutes (longer for younger students)
1.2 Child rights
English (listening and speaking)
Ethical behaviors Teamwork A commitment to sustainable living patterns
A commitment to sustainable living patterns
Activity 2: Child rights
50 minutes
2.1 How is Child Poverty connected to Child Rights?
English Geography
Thinking skills Teamwork
Creativity Ethical behaviors
Activity 3: The causes and consequences of child poverty
50–70 minutes allowing for discussion
2.2 Child Rights and The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Cross-curricula: the MDGs should be used across all areas of study
Activity 4: What can the world do to help children achieve their rights?
50–100 minutes
Activity 5: A roof over my head
80 minutes
Activity 6: Wondering about water rights
50 minutes
MODULE 2: Child Poverty Drama
Thinking skills Teamwork
MODULE 3: Exploring the CRC 3.1 The right to shelter
English (speaking) Philosophy (community of inquiry)
3.2 The right TO water
English (writing and speaking) History
Media Health
Thinking skills Creativity
3.3 The right to food
Health
English
Teamwork Social competence
Thinking skills
Activity 7: Food for Thought
40–50 minutes
3.4 The right to healthcare
Health
English (reading)
Intercultural understanding
Skills/knowledge/ understanding about Asia
Activity 8: My life, my struggle
60 minutes
3.5 The right to education
English (writing)
Thinking skills Intercultural understanding
Skills/knowledge/ understandings related to Asia
Activity 9: From the streets to school
60–80 minutes
3.6 The right to play
Physical Education
Teamwork Ethical behaviors
Social competence
Activity 10: When will the children play?
50 minutes
3.7 The right to protection
Humanities
Creativity
Teamwork
Activity 11: The Right to Protection from child labour
50 minutes
3.8 The right to participation
ICT/Media
Thinking skills Teamwork
Ethical behaviors Social competence
Activity 12: Child participation – good for everyone
50 minutes
6
Common Threads
Health Music
Intercultural understanding Social competence
Teamwork Creativity
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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United Nations Convention on
The Rights of the Child 1. Definition of a child
9. Separation from parents
Until you are 18, you are considered a child and have all the rights in this convention.
You should not be separated from your parents unless it is for your own good.
2. Freedom from discrimination
10. Family reunification
You should not be discriminated against for any reason, including your race, colour, sex, language, religion, opinion, origin, social or economic status, disability, birth, or any other quality of your parents or guardians.
3. The child's best interest
All actions and decisions that affect children should be based on what is best for you or any child.
4. Enjoying the rights in the Convention Government should make these rights available to you and all children.
5. Parental guidance and the child’s growing abilities
Your family has the main responsibility for guiding you so that, as you grow, you learn to use your rights properly.
6. Right to life and development You have the right to live and grow well.
7. Birth registration, name, nationality and parental care You have the right to have your birth legally registered, to have a name and nationality and to know and to be cared for by your parents.
8. Preservation of identity Governments should respect your right to a name, a nationality and family ties.
You have the right to be reunited with your parent/s if they have to move to another country.
11. Protection from illegal transfer to another country You should not be taken out of your country illegally.
12. Respect for the child’s opinion
17. Access to information and media
24. Healthcare and health services
30. Children of minorities and native origin
38. Protection of children affected by armed conflict
You have the right to reliable information from a variety of sources, including books, newspapers and magazines, television, radio and internet.
You have the right to good quality healthcare (i.e. medicine, hospitals, health professionals). You have the right to clean water, nutritious food, a clean environment and health education.
You have a right to learn and use the traditions, religion and language of your family, whether or not these are shared by most people in your country.
If you are under 15 (under 18 in most European countries), governments should not allow you to join the army or take any part in warfare. Children in war zones should receive special protection.
25. Periodic review of treatment
You have a right to relax and join in recreational and cultural activities.
39. Rehabilitation of child victims
You should have your situation reviewed regularly if you are looked after by local authorities or institutions.
32. Child labour
If you were neglected, tortured or abused, were a victim of exploitation or warfare, or were put in prison, you should receive special help to regain your physical and mental health
18. Parents’ joint responsibilities You have the right to be brought up by both your parents if possible.
19. Protection from all forms of violence, abuse and neglect
When adults are making decisions that affect you, you have the right to have an opinion.
Governments should ensure that you are protected from violence, abuse and neglect by your parents or anyone else.
13. Freedom of expression and information
20. Alternative care
You have the right to seek, get and share information through writing, art, television, radio and internet as long as the information is not damaging to you or to others.
14. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion You have the right to think and believe what you want and to practice your religion as long as you do not stop other people from enjoying their rights.
15. Freedom of association and peaceful assembly You have the right to meet and join groups and organisations with other children as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights.
16. Privacy, honour and reputation You have a right to privacy. No one should harm your good name or interfere with your property.
Youth– ly friend version
If your family cannot care for you properly, then you must be looked after by people who respect your religion, traditions and language.
21. Adoption If you are adopted, the first concern must be what is best for you, whether you are adopted in your birth country or taken to live in another country.
22. Refugee children Refugee children should receive special protection and support. You have the same rights as children born in that country.
23. Disabled children Children with disabilities should receive special care, support and education to lead a full and independent life.
26. Benefit from social security You should receive help from the government if you are poor or in need.
27. Adequate standard of living You should live in good conditions that help you develop physically, mentally, spiritually, morally and socially. The government should help families who cannot afford to provide this.
28. Right to education You have a right to education. Discipline in schools should respect your human dignity. Primary education should be free and required.
29. The aims of education Education should develop your personality, talents and mental and physical skills to the fullest. It should prepare you for life and encourage you to respect your parents and all nations and cultures. You have a right to learn about your rights.
31. Leisure, play and culture
The government should protect you from work that is dangerous to your health or development, that interferes with your education or that might lead people to take advantage of you.
40. Juvenile justice
34. Protection from sexual exploitation
If you are accused of breaking the law, you must be treated in a way that respects your dignity. You should receive legal help and only be given a prison sentence for the most serious crimes.
You should be protected from sexual abuse.
41. Respect for higher human rights standards
35. Protection from trafficking, sale and abduction
If the laws of your country are better for children than the articles of the Convention, then those laws should be followed.
33. Children and drug abuse You should be protected from dangerous drugs and their trade.
You should be protected from kidnapping and exploitation.
36. Protection from other forms of exploitation You should be protected from any activities that could harm your development and wellbeing.
37. Protection from torture, degrading treatment and loss of liberty If you break the law, you should not be treated cruelly or put in prison with adults and should be able to stay in contact with your family.
42. Making the Convention widely known The government should make the Convention known to all parents, institutions and children.
43-54. Duties of governments These articles explain how adults and governments should work together to make sure all children get all their rights.
Full United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child available via the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm
MODULE 1: EXPLORING Rights Session 1.1: Child Rights are Human Rights
Module 1: Exploring Rights Session 1.1 CHILD RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
• Do I treat all people I meet with dignity and fairness? • Am I always treated that way? • Is my classroom physically structured to allow all students to learn fairly?
Human rights are entitlements that everyone can claim and hold regardless of sex, race, colour, language, national origin, age, class, physical and mental health, religion or political beliefs.
• Am I in constant dialogue with my students about treating others as they wish to be treated? • We have classroom rules – are they always adhered to by all class members, including myself and classroom visitors?
Human rights are based on the recognition and respect of all people’s dignity, and the recognition of the equality of all people. The idea of human rights can be traced back to early civilisations. However, it has only been in the last few centuries that human rights and the responsibility of individuals and nations to claim, uphold and protect human rights has been incorporated in national and international law.
Human Rights Principles Human rights are based on several key principles that are common to all rights, including child rights. These principles are: universality and inalienability; indivisibility; and interdependence and interrelation.
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Common Threads
Interdependent and Interrelated: These concepts mean that the fulfilment of one right often depends, wholly or in part, upon the fulfilment of others. For instance, the right to health may depend, in certain circumstances, on fulfilment of the right to development, to education or to information.
Teacher as learner inquiry
What do I need to know as an educator?
The modern day international human rights framework emerged after the First and Second World Wars and through the establishment of the United Nations. In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN. It was the first international set of human rights documented in one comprehensive framework. All current 192 member countries of the UN have endorsed the UDHR and accept the standards it sets out, even though the UDHR itself is actually not legally binding. The UDHR has been followed by many significant and legally binding human rights treaties and conventions, including The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as summarised on pages 8–9).
Indivisibility: Human rights are indivisible. All human rights have equal status, and cannot be positioned in a hierarchical order. Denial of one right invariably impedes enjoyment of other rights. For example, the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living cannot be compromised at the expense of other rights, such as the right to health or the right to education.
• Are our school values consistent with international human rights? • Imagine your right to work in a school – how is it connected to other rights such as the right to be healthy or the rights to free speech?
Universality and Inalienability: This means that all people everywhere in the world are entitled to human rights. The universality of human rights is encompassed in the words of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Boys studying in classroom in Laos.
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 1: EXPLORING Rights
Lesson Pl an :
All children need... Learning objectives
Student activity: All Children need... 1. Trace your hand here or on a separate piece of paper
To examine the needs and wants of children and consider the rights of all children.
Description of the activity
Session 1.1: Child Rights are Human Rights
This activity has three parts: 1. Students trace their hand and annotate it with their own ideas about what children need and want. Use coloured paper to trace hand following instructions on page 13. Then cut out hand shape to paste on a display wall.
Resources/tips Prepare the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’ for viewing on the CD version of this resource, on the Plan International Australia website www.plan.org.au . (Alternatively, the animation is accessible at www.vimeo.com/26093407 ). Share the summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with students via photocopying pages 8–9 or displaying it on an interactive whiteboard (from the PDF on the accompanying CD).
2. Students then read the summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (see pages 8-9) and view the animation ‘Chid Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’. 3. Students get into pairs and create a mind map about child rights.
You will need: Coloured paper for tracing Scissors Display space
Further reading Conrad, S. et al., 2010. Promoting child rights to end child poverty: achieving lasting change through child-centred community development. Plan Limited, United Kingdom. DIES/DEA, 2009. Every child matters and The global dimension report for the United Kingdom. Fagan, A., 2010. The Atlas of Human Rights. Earthscan, United Kingdom. Watson, S., 2003. Global citizenship: understanding human rights. Macmillan Education, Australia.
2. In each finger, write one thing that ALL children need.
Castle, C., 2002. For every child: the rights of the child in words and pictures. UNICEF, New York. http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp http://www.unfpa.org/rights/principles.htm
3. In the space of your palm, write a list of things that ALL children might want. 4. As a class or in small groups, discuss what you wrote on your hand. 5. As a class, read through the Convention of the Rights of the Child. 6. View the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’.
Children learning at Plan supported pre-school in Bangladesh.
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Common Threads
7. With a partner, create a mind map to show how the rights to shelter, food, water, healthcare, education and play are related to one another. Use words, ideas and symbols from the animation to show the links between each right.
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MODULE 1: EXPLORING Rights Session 1.2: Child Rights
Module 1: Exploring Rights Session 1.2 Child Rights
Teacher as learner inquiry • Which rights from the CRC do the children in our school access? • Which rights might they take for granted? • Are there children in our schools who perform labour at the expense of their schooling or safety? • To what extent do the children in my care know about the rights of children elsewhere in the world? • Why is it important that Australian children are educated about child rights for themselves/for others?
What do I need to know as an educator?
“...recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world...” Preamble, the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 While children benefit from all human rights instruments, they require specific and additional types of human rights protection and promotion. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and enshrines the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of children. While all other human rights instruments relate to children as well (for example the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), the CRC enshrines the core rights of children and is the most widely accepted convention in the world. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989 The CRC (see pages 8–9) states that children have the right to: • Survival for example food and water, clothes, shelter
The CRC upholds that children have the right to grow to their full potential in life – that they have a right to survive; to be secure and respected; to be educated; to develop their skills and talents; to be heard; and to be with their families. These are some of the commitments that the governments of 193 countries made when they ratified the CRC. These rights apply to all children under the age of 18: girls and boys, children with disabilities, children of all ethnic origins and all religious beliefs. However, the gap between these commitments and the reality of many children’s lives today is significant. Ensuring child rights and placing these rights at the centre of global development makes sense. Healthy, educated children have the potential to fully contribute to their local, national and global communities.
• Development for example education, healthcare, time to play • Protection for example to be cared for by their parents, protection from any work that is dangerous, and protection from any form of abuse or violence • Participation for example enjoying their own culture, religion and language and having a say in things that affect them. Children play games in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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Common Threads
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 1: EXPLORING Rights Session 1.2: Child Rights
Child Rights Learning objectives To introduce students to the concept of child rights and those responsible for upholding those rights (duty bearers).
Description of student activity This activity has three parts: 1. Students view the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’ (on the CD version of this resource, on the Plan International Australia website www.plan.org.au or at www.vimeo.com/26093407) and read over the Convention on the Rights of the Child (pages 8-9 of this guide). 2. Students group child rights in the four categories of survival, development, protection and participation. This can be done as a class, in small groups or in pairs. Once this has been completed, check that their answers are correct (see the answers below) before moving on to the third part. 3. Divide the class into four groups and assign a category of child rights (survival, development, protection or participation) to each group. Ask the groups to discuss who in the community is responsible for children accessing these rights. Each group should then report back to the class. (Reports can be made verbally, with a poster presentation, or other creative presentations.)
Student activity: Child Rights 1. As a class, view the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’ and read over the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 2. There are four categories of child rights. These are the rights to survival, development, protection and participation. Place the following child rights into the correct category by completing the diagram below. A. The rights to have enough food and shelter and to have a healthy body B. The right to be given the opportunity for play and leisure C. The right to be looked after in difficult circumstances such as wars and floods D. The right to join clubs and groups with other people in peace E. The right to be defended and assisted by the government F. The right to express your views and opinions G. The right to have a good education H. The right to be given protection against abuse, harm and violence 3. Your teacher will divide the class into 4 groups. Each group will be assigned a category of rights. In your group, discuss who in the community is responsible for children accessing these rights. 4. Present your findings back to the class for discussion.
Resources/tips • The whole class should view the animation ‘Child Rights: The Answer to Poverty?’.
Right to survival
• Display a copy of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. • Answers to student activity question 2: Survival – A Development – B, G Protection – C, E, H Participation – D, F
Further reading Browett J. and Ashman G., 2010. Thinking globally: global perspectives in the early years’ classroom. Curriculum Corporation, Australia. Moccia, P., 2009. The state of the world’s children (special edition). Celebrating 20 years of the convention on the rights of the child. UNICEF, New York. Dorling Kindersley, 2002. A life like mine: how children live around the world. UNICEF, United Kingdom. Global Education Project www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au
Right to participation
Right to development
Right to Protection
Primary school children living in a village along the river in Bokeo province, Laos.
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Common Threads
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 2: Child Poverty Session 2.1: How is Child Poverty Connected to Child Rights?
Hey, I think we should tackle Child Rights in Year 6
Module 2 : Child Poverty
Yes, I agree. What do we need to know first?
Session 2.1 How is Child Poverty connected to Child Rights? What do I need to know as an educator? Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue. There are people living in poverty in all nations, even those considered developed and economically wealthy. Poverty has been described by the United Nations Development Program as not having enough resources to ensure a minimum, nutritionally adequate diet or to obtain essential non-food items (which may include economic, social and environmental resources). Poverty affects children in many ways and in some cases quite differently to how poverty affects adults. Here are some of the characteristics of child poverty: 1. Children are the hardest hit by poverty Childhood is the most crucial development period in an individual’s life. It is when an individual’s main physical, mental, emotional and social development and growth takes place. Damage at this stage cannot be overcome later in life, and poor children are likely to pass poverty onto their children, perpetuating the cycle. Poverty reduction must begin with children. 2. In a population, children are disproportionately poor There is significant evidence that poor households have more children than their non-poor counterparts resulting in children being over-represented among the poor. Therefore any poverty alleviation strategy needs to have a strong child bias.
3. Child poverty is hidden within a household Poverty alleviation generally tries to increase income at a household level. Children, though, exist within households and usually have the least power and influence on how income is spent. This is particularly true for girls. Poor households often have to cut back on expenses for children and frequently are forced to rely on sending the children to work. Battling with extreme poverty every day often leaves adults too busy and exhausted to properly nurture children. To combat poverty we need to consider the impact poverty is having on children in poor families. 4. Children’s potential is undervalued Sometimes children are viewed simply as passive and costly dependents of adults. However it is important to recognise that children are important members of society in their own right. They are already contributing in numerous ways to social, family, economic and community life. Any attempt to assist children living in poverty needs to recognise the positive contribution children already do make and can make in the future.
Weaving together interrelated ideas A child rights approach to development (or alleviating poverty) is a pathway in which children, families and communities are active and leading participants in their own development. The empowerment of all community members, with child rights at the centre, |can lead to a reduction in poverty, discrimination, abuse, lack of participation, poor health and lack of educational opportunities. Child rights are for ALL children, everywhere.
Underpinned by the principles of Child-Centered Community Development • Children at the centre • Guided by human rights principles and standards • Responsibility and accountability • Inclusion and non-discrimination • Gender equality • Participation Inspired by Lisa VeneKlasen with Valerie Miller, A New Weave of Power, People & Politics The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation Herndon, VA, Stylus Publishing (USA); Rugby, Practical Action Publishing (rest of world). Just Associates [online]. Accessed 16 September 2010. Available from www.justassociates.org/ActionGuide.htm
Teacher as learner Inquiry • What is the broader context of poverty beyond economic poverty? • Are there children in my classroom who might be experiencing poverty? • What mechanisms are available at my school to help a child or family whose poverty might be hidden? • What practical steps could I take to help a child whose poverty might be hidden? • How could I lessen the impact of poverty for children in my care?
Young boy in Uganda.
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Common Threads
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 2: Child Poverty Session 2.1: How is Child Poverty Connected to Child Rights?
THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD POVERTY Learning objective To understand that there are many causes and consequences of child poverty, and how child rights are connected to poverty.
Description of student activity This activity has two parts. 1. Students learn about the causes and consequences of poverty (see the resources/tips below). For younger students the introduction of this lesson will need a discussion of the difference of ‘cause’ and ‘consequence’. For example ‘I scared the cat which caused him to spill his milk. The consequence was milk all over the floor’. A classroom discussion about child poverty is recommended prior to this exercise. 2. Students make connections between child poverty and child rights by filling out the student activity sheet. Share the summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with students via photocopying pages 8-9 or displaying it on an interactive whiteboard (from the PDF on the accompanying CD). The students then fill in the table by selecting the relevant child rights that relate to the statement.
Student activity: What are the causes and consequences of child poverty? 1. Read the Convention on the Rights of the Child and consider the statements below. Which child rights relate to each statement? Fill in the table below.
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY A family having very little money or no jobs Having little or no education Not having anywhere to live Conflicts or war happening where you live A natural disaster occurring without any warning
Extension Activity: Students can then select one of the child rights and find a current article in the newspaper or on the internet about the issue and report their findings back to the class.
Being sick and not able to afford medicine
Resources/tips
Having to travel a long way to go to school
Make three large signs stating CAUSE (makes poverty happen), CONSEQUENCE (is the result of poverty) and BOTH (is a cause and a consequence). Display the three signs several metres apart on a wall/ along a corridor wall. Read each of the statements below and ask the students to stand under the relevant sign for each one. Repeat for each statement • A family having very little money or no jobs BOTH • Having little or no education BOTH • Not having anywhere to live CONSEQUENCE • Conflicts or war happening where you live CAUSE • A natural disaster occurring without any warning CAUSE
• Being sick and not able to afford medicine CONSEQUENCE • Having to travel a long way to go to school BOTH • Being hungry – not having enough nutritious food CONSEQUENCE • The world’s money being unevenly spread around all people CAUSE • Children have to work to support their family BOTH For the extension activity students may find articles on women’s rights at work, children not having breakfast etc. The focus of the discussion is about the rights themselves in our society. This is to overcome the perception of ‘us’ here in Australia, and ‘them’ in another country and to illustrate the global nature of rights.
RELATED CHILD RIGHTS
Being hungry – not having enough nutritious food The world’s money being unevenly spread around all people Children have to work to support their family Extension Activity: 2. Select one of the above causes or consequences of poverty and search for a current affair article for an example of this occurring in society today. 3. Summarise the article in 250 words and present your findings in class circle time.
Further reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York. Global Education Project www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au Click on ‘Human Rights’. Save the Children, The busy teacher’s guide to the world.www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/54 5974.htm The World Bank, Poverty reduction and equity. web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/0,,menu PK:336998~pagePK:149018~piPK:149093~theSitePK:336992,00.html The 2011 world poverty and hunger facts and statistics www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm#Whatare_the_causes_of_hunger
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MODULE 2: Child Poverty Session 2.2: Child Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Module 2 : Child Poverty Session 2.2 Child Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) What do I need to know as an educator? What are the consequences of child rights not being acknowledged by society? At the beginning of the new millennium a new global consensus emerged that called for a concerted and unified effort to address issues of poverty, security and rights. In 2000 the United Nations set a series of 8 Millennium Development Goals to improve the life of all the world’s people by 2015. The MDGs have been taken up by all countries and the world’s leading development institutions. To further contextualise child rights as they relate to poverty, the diagram opposite shows selected relevant MDGs that illustrate the situation for children in the developing world. Millennium Development Goal 1 – To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Target 1A is to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. This is related to: CRC Article 6 – Life, survival and development CRC Article 27 – A decent standard of living
Millennium Development Goal 2 – Achieve universal primary education Target 2A of this goal is to ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. This is related to: CRC Article 6 – Life, survival and development CRC Articles 28 and 29 – Education Millennium Development Goal 4 – Child mortality Target 4A is to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the mortality rate of children under five.
Teacher as learner Inquiry • Do I have a solid understanding of the MDGs and how they relate to child rights? • Are my students aware of the MDGs? • What information and resources can I seek to help my students learn about the MDGs? • How could my students and I educate our school community about the MDGs?
This is related to: CRC Article 6 – Life, survival and development CRC Article 24 – Health and access to healthcare information Millennium Development Goal 7 – Environmental sustainability Target 7C is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. This is related to CRC Article 6 – Life, survival and development CRC Article 27 – A decent standard of living
Child receives food from Plan-constructed health station in Ethiopia.
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Boys in primary school in Bokeo, Laos.
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MODULE 2: Child Poverty
What can the world do to help children achieve their rights?
STUDENT ACTIVITY: OPERATION MDG - WHAT CAN THE WORLD DO TO HELP CHILDREN ACHIEVE THEIR RIGHTS? Your Mission: To report to the United Nations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Pre-mission activity:
Session 2.2: Child Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
1
Join a special Research Group. My group includes
Learning objective
2 Write the number of your designated Millennium Development Goal here MDG #
To become aware of the purpose and content of the Millennium Development Goals, and how child rights relates to achieving the goals.
3 Visit http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/mdgs/flash/index.asp 4 Search the site to find your MDG. Write your MDG title here:
Description of student activity Students work in groups to profile one MDG and relate it to specific child rights. They use the United Nations ‘cyberschoolbus’ website to research the MDGs. Operation MDG:
Resources/tips
5 Describe what this MDG is about. Use words from the site which you understand (do not just copy without knowing what the words mean).
• Refer to Appendix 1. • Arrange student access to http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/ mdgs/flash/index.asp • Photocopy the Convention on the Rights of the Child summary on pages 8–10 and hand out to students. • Organise students into groups of two or three. • Assign each group with a different MDG (1–7). • Allow time for students to research, present and discuss their information.
We have learnt that MDG #
is about:
6 Now read the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Which articles in the CRC do you think will make sure that your MDG can be achieved? Make a list here. Children from a flood preparation forum in Pakistan.
Further reading Global Education Project www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au Click on Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights The United Nations http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/mdgs/flash/index.asp http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG_FS_2_EN.pdf
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The MDGs commit the international community to an expanded vision of development, one that vigorously promotes human development as the key to sustaining social and economic progress in all countries, and recognises the importance of creating a global partnership for development.
7 Prepare your presentation as a poster for the classroom. Your poster must be colourful, eye-catching and informative. Be creative so that the connection between your MDG and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is easy for others to understand.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.1: The Right to Shelter
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC
Child and youth homelessness is a significant child rights problem in Australia with almost half the people who seek services for homelessness in Australia being under the age of 18.6 Children’s experiences and opinions about child homelessness which are different from adults’ experiences of homelessness have not
been well documented in Australia. This means that there is little knowledge from children to address this problem with and for children.7 Active participation of children in uncovering the root causes of child homelessness could lead to increased strategies to address the root causes of the problem.
Session 3.1 The right to Shelter Teacher as learner inquiry • What do I presume about the shelter available for the students in my care?
What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture Every child should have a home – a place that is warm and safe and offers privacy and peace. A house may be built from a variety of materials but ideally would provide the following for children: protection from the weather, security from harm, a safe water supply and sanitation facilities, safe food storage, be fireproof, be large enough for everyone who lives there and include adults who can care for the children within it. However, more than 20 million families in the world are homeless. Up to 1.3 billion people in the world do not have adequate housing. At least 600 million live in city slums or shantytowns on the edges of urban or rural cities.1 The Australian picture Homelessness is experienced by children and young people to a greater degree than other people in Australia.2 Indigenous children and young people are more likely to experience homelessness than other Australian children or young people.3
The risk of homelessness for children and young people who have come to Australia as refugees is approximately ten times higher than that of the general Australian population.4 This is a significant child rights issue in Australia, as access to safe and affordable housing is essential for new Australian families and their children to settle successfully. Furthermore, this group of children and young people face the added issue of language and culture differences that may further reduce their ability to access housing and social services.
• Does the shelter we offer at school ensure that children feel safe and protected? • What presumptions do we make about shelter being adequate for all? • How are these presumptions tested in the wider media?
Young people who have been in alternate care, such as out-of-home care or foster care, and have now reached an age where they are no longer entitled to that form of care by the government, are vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. This can be because young people lack the support to find and keep appropriate independent accommodation when they leave supported accommodation.5
Bokeo province in north-west Laos. 1. World Health Organization, The WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe,and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 2010. 2. Human Rights: Law Resource Centre, Bulletin Special Edition, April 2010, pg 33; and United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Concluding Observations: Australia, UN Doc CRC/C/15/Add.268 20 October 2005, at pg 5. 3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Census Analytic Program: Counting the Homeless 2006, Cat No 2050.0 (2006) 4. Louise Coventry et al, ‘Wealth of All Nations: Identification of strategies to assist refugee young people in transition to independence, Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies’ (Report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme, 2002) pg 50. 5. Dr Joseph J McDowell, CREATE Foundation Report Card 2009 Transitioning from care: tracking progress (Report, CREATE Foundation, November 2009) pg 6.
6. Australian Government, White Paper on Homelessness: The Road Home (December 2008), 9, citing Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Homeless people in SAAP: SAAP National Data Collection Annual Report, (2008) SAAP NDCA report series 12, cat. no. HOU 185 cited in Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, pg 23. 7. Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, pg 23.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.1: The Right to Shelter
A roof over my head Learning objectives To engage students in a deep thinking and discussion about the right to shelter.
Student activity: A roof over my head 1. Your teacher will show you some pictures of different houses. Imagine that you’re on an overseas trip and you stay at each of these houses during your holiday. You write a postcard to your friend back in Australia, describing each house you stay at. What words would you use? Here’s a clue: some of the words might include cold, hot, comfortable, clean, private, mud brick, wood, concrete. Write your descriptions next to the pictures below.
Description of the activity *This activity is based on materials in Teaching Thinking By Professor Robert Fisher. An inquiry approach is one method of engaging students in thinking about an issue. The stimulus used for this inquiry is a selection of questions and pictures that illustrate different types of homes. In addition to the pictures provided in Appendix 2, you may wish to gather photographs from the internet, classroom books such as A Life Like Mine or from the gallery on the free CD ‘Developing Global Citizens’ noted in the further readings. This activity has two parts. 1. Lead a discussion using the examples of open-ended questions below. The main emphases should be on the right to shelter and the features that constitute safe shelter for children. 2. Students fill out the activity sheet using the pictures from Appendix 2 (you will need to photocopy or print the page and hand out to each student, or display the pictures on the interaction whiteboard).
Resources/tips It is crucial in this inquiry that the ideas of all students are heard and considered by others.
• What are your reasons for suggesting that a house is just for shelter?
Some examples of open-ended questions about homes might be:
Questions that explore alternative ways of viewing • Can you describe a house another way? • What is the difference between your idea of a house and another person’s idea? • What would someone who disagreed with you say?
Questions seeking clarification • Can you explain why homes are different all around the world? • What is the difference between a house and a home? • What features does a good home have? Questions that probe evidence • Why do you think that homes are made from different materials? • How do you know that homes are important for children?
Questions that test implications and consequences • What happens when a child does not have basic shelter? • Is there a general rule that all children have the right to shelter?
Further reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York. Developing global citizens: an excellent resource for primary and secondary teachers and students. Available free from AusAID. Contact the Global Education Project in your state. Fisher, R., 2008. Teaching Thinking. 3rd edition. Continuum Publishing, London. Kindersley, D., 2002. A life like mine: how children live around the world. UNICEF, New York. Oxfam, 2006. Global citizenship guide: teaching controversial issues. Oxfam, Great Britain.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.2: The Right to Water
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC Session 3.2 THE RIGHT TO WATER
Higher temperatures and heat stress, fires or droughts and the loss of family farming livelihood and production would negatively impact on all Australians, including children.11 Indigenous, remote and rural families may be particularly affected by climate
change, as will poorer families with fewer resources to cope with rising food, energy and water costs.12 Further to this, growing urban populations in most Australian cities is a threat to children’s access to water as demand overwhelms supply, and the cost of water increases.
8
‘Environmental Threats to the Health of Children in Australia: The Need for a National Research Agenda’, Sly et al, supported by ARACY, 2008.
9
Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle “Little Children are Sacred”,Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse 2007 Pg 224
10
‘Environmental Threats to the Health of Children in Australia: The Need for a National Research Agenda’, Sly et al, supported by ARACY, 2008.
11
‘Weathering the future: Climate change, children and young people, and decision making’, Lyndall Strazdins and Helen Skeat, ARACY, March 2011, pg 8.
12
Ibid
Progress has been made in the use of improved drinking water sources, but reaching the last 10-15% of the population remains a challenge. Trends in the use of drinking water sources, by region
What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture Target 7C of MDG no.7 is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Access to safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation are vital for the survival and development of children and youth, as well as the economic wellbeing of their families and communities. In spite of decades of effort, nearly one billion people still lack access to potable water, and 2.6 billion lack access to sanitation. Safe, reliable and affordable potable water supplies and improved environmental sanitation services are vital for healthy development of children. Without them, millions of children are at risk of disease and death. When access to water is difficult and households/ schools are without toilets and hygiene facilities, many children (especially girls) face increased burdens on their time and risks to their safety and education, thereby limiting their other rights such as the right to education, participation and play. Key points • The world is on track to meet the drinking water target by 2015, and has already been met by Northern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia and South-East Asia. • From 1990 to 2008 the proportion of the population in developing regions accessing improved drinking water rose from 77 per cent to 87 per cent, and those accessing better sanitation increased from 54 per cent to 61 per cent. • However, the target to meet sanitation is behind and much remains to be done in some regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.
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• Accessing safe water supply and sanitation facilitates remains a challenge in many parts of the world. Globally, diarrhea – largely caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene – kills more children under five, than malaria, HIV/Aids and measles combined. (UNICEF, ‘Wash Annual Report 2010’, Plan Australia, 2010)
The Australian picture In Australia, water is a precious and scarce resource. Australians rely on water not only for drinking but also to support our agricultural economy. Approximately 80% of Australia is classified as semiarid so water supply will continue to be essential to the future of Australia.8 Access to safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation is essential for all Australian children’s development and survival. The majority of Australian children have access to safe drinking water. However, some children living in remote areas do not. In some Indigenous communities the quality of drinking water is poor and provisions for grey water are inadequate.9 In many rural areas bore water is the only source of water as access to the town water supply is not available. There is concern that high concentration of agricultural chemicals used for food and grain production in the soil in many rural areas is causing unacceptably high levels of contamination of bore water.10 The potential for climate change to affect many aspects of Australian children’s wellbeing is unknown. However, the effects of climate change are many and could lead to changes in rainfall and temperatures effecting water supply and quality which in turn affects both drinking water and agriculture production.
Piped into premisis
Other improved sources
Unimproved sources
Source: http://www.devinfo.info/pfc/download/progress_for_children_No9.pdf *Note this data refers to the general population, not just children.
Teacher as learner inquiry • What have I learnt about access to sufficient and safe water in Australia? • To what extent do my students recognise the importance of water? • Do I encourage water saving practices in my classroom and in the school yard? • How can I encourage my students to follow my example?
Children enjoy splashing water at their primary school in Bangladesh.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.2: The Right to Water
WONDERING ABOUT WATER RIGHTS To enable students to explore the human right to have clean, safe water.
This activity has two parts. 1. Students work in pairs to consider the right to water and the consequences of not being able to claim this right. 2. Students watch a short video and answer questions on the activity sheet. Extension activity: there are some fun, interactive activity ideas on the Tear Australia website that connect students with issues of water access in the developing world. www.tear.org.au/resources/items/simulations-about-water/
2. Watch the video and answer the following questions. a) When clean water is far away from the place where you live, it means you have to walk far to collect water, leaving little time for: Household chores Schooling Play
walking for two hours to get water contaminated water 2. Watch the video and answer the following questions. a) When clean water is far away from the place where you live, it means you have to walk far to collect water, leaving little time for: 1) 2)
Resources/tips
The following is a guide to the answers for question 2 on the student activity sheet:
limited access to water being a girl who has to collect water
Description of activity
Provide students access to the video www.vimeo.com/26038614 and allow students to watch it at least twice.
1. In pairs, pick two of the following scenarios and complete a consequences chart for each scenario, to show the impacts of having:
no water at all
Learning objectives
Photocopy or print the consequences chart (Appendix 3 of this guide) and give a copy to each student.
Student activity: WONDERING ABOUT WATER RIGHTS
b) For this village, what were two things that had to be considered when putting in water supplies? Over-burdening scarce water supplies Resources and ability to maintain pipes c) Name three barriers that had to be overcome to put in water supplies in this village. Build trenches Raise Connection fees Get permission from the Ministry of Water to connect to main water supplies d) Describe two positive outcomes of the village gaining access to clean water? School involvement has increased Building irrigation to overcome famine
Further reading
3) b) For this village, what were two things that had to be considered when putting in water supplies? 1) 2) c) Name three barriers that had to be overcome to put in water supplies in this village. 1) 2) 3) d) Describe two positive outcomes of the village gaining access to clean water? 1) 2)
UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Annual Report 2010 www.unicef.org/wash/files/UNICEF_WASH_2010_Annual_Report_15_06_2011_Final.pdf ‘Raising Clean Hands’ Advancing Learning, Health and Participation through WASH in Schools. Joint Call to Action 2010 www.unicef.org/wash/schools/files/raisingcleanhands_2010.pdf
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.3: The Right to Food
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC Session 3.3 The Right to Food What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture According to estimates by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) there were 925 million undernourished people in the world in 2010.13 It is estimated that 6 million children die each year due to hunger related issues. Target 1A of MDG no.1 is to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Key points: • Despite some progress, one in four children in the developing world are still underweight • Children in rural areas are nearly twice as likely to be underweight as those in urban areas • Globally underweight prevalence has declined from 31 per cent in 1990 to 26 per cent in 2006. The rate of reduction is insufficient to meet the MDG target by 2015
• Global rates of childhood malnutrition have only improved a little over the last 15 years The Australian picture The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in their Concluding Observations14 expressed concern about the nutrition of some Australian children. In 2009, almost a quarter of all children aged 5–17 years were overweight or obese, while Indigenous peoples in remote areas experience poor nutrition, often due to logistical and price barriers in accessing fresh fruit and vegetables in those areas.15 However, there have been excellent Federal initiatives to address the high incidence of obesity within the general Australian population as well as within the child and youth population.16
Teacher as learner inquiry
Photo taken by participant in Plan photography project of boy working in grocery stall in Bangladesh.
All regions have made progress in reducing child underweight prevalence Percentage of children 0–59 months old who are underweight, by region
Note: The trend analysis is based on a subset of 83 countries with trend data, covering 88% of the under-five population in the developing world. For CEE/CIS, data availability was limited for the period around 1990. Prevalence estimates for CEE/CIS are calculated according to the NCHS reference population, as there were insufficient data to calculate trend estimates according to WHO Child Growth Standards.
Underweight prevalence is more common in rural areas than in urban areas and similar among boys and girls. Percentage of children 0–59 months old who are underweight, by area of residence and by gender
• Are there students in my care who do not have enough to eat? • Does our school need a program to ensure that breakfast is consumed at home or school before the learning day begins? • Am I mindful of students whose nutritional needs appear not to being met? • How can I teach about the right to food/global hunger without ‘gloom and doom’ images and ideas?
13
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations www.fao.org/hunger/en/
14
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Concluding Observations: Australia, UN Doc CRC/C/15/Add.268 20 October 2005, [62-4] at 47.
15
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, Australia’s Health 2010, (23 June 2010), p 243.
16
Department of Health and Aging, Australian Government, Current Nutrition Activities
(9 August 2010) www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/phd-nutrition-current
Note: Analysis is based on a subset of 75 countries with residence information, covering 81% of the under-five population in the developing world. Prevalence estimates are calculated according to WHO Child Growth Standards. CEE/CIS is not included in this table, as there were insufficient data to calculate prevalence according to WHO Child Growth Standards, 2003–2008. The rural/urban ratio in CEE/CIS, based on the NCHS reference population, is 1.9. Source: UNICEF global databases, 2010.
Source: http://www.devinfo.info/pfc/download/progress_for_children_No9.pdf *Underweight prevalence and rural/urban disparities represent only two measures of meeting this goal for children.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.3: The Right to Food
Student activity: Food for Thought
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Learning Objective To enable students to explore the human right to have enough food.
Description of activity Students work individually, in pairs and as a class to consider the right to food. In this activity students consider some facts about hunger, and then in pairs select a scenario to respond to. Their response should address the links between their chosen scenario and selected child rights.
1. Read these facts on food
Women produce the majority of the world’s food but rarely own the land they farm. In SubSaharan Africa, women produce 80 per cent of the household food but they only own one per cent of the land.
There is enough food in the world to feed everyone but the food is not shared evenly. Some have too much, others have nothing.
About 5.3 million children under the age of five (more than a third of all children in the world) die each year in developing countries from malnutrition and hunger-related illness.
Every year floods, droughts, earthquakes and other natural disasters as well as armed conflicts cause widespread destruction and force families to abandon their homes and farms. This leads to people not having access to food and can also lead to hunger and even starvation.
2 In pairs, select one of the following scenarios and questions to respond to. You can draw a picture, write a poem or a song or act out a role-play.
Resources/ Tips Allow 40–50 minutes for the activity. Discuss some of the reasons why hunger is an issue for so many in the world. Reasons may include: access to and control of land; the use of land for exporting cash crops for external usage (as opposed to food for local populations); or land use for non-food producing activities (such as housing or tourist parks). There are environmental reasons for hunger (such as droughts which in some cases is related to climate change) and other causes including high food prices, over-fishing and conflict/war forcing the relocation of people. In the scenarios discuss the interconnected role of rights, i.e. the right to health is linked to the right to food. Also highlight how complicated it is for some people to access the right to food, because it might impact on their right to access education and play or be protected.
Further Reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York.
Food Force. Interactive online game. Download available. www.wfp.org/how-to-help/individuals/food-force From Cup to Crop. Campaign involving Australian restaurateurs. www.fromcuptocrop.com.au/ Food security is a concern in certain parts of Kenya.
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Scenario 2: Johno is fourteen years old. He has to tend the crops each day, weeding and watering them to ensure that the family has something to eat. Sometimes Johno has to fend off wild animals that come to eat his crops. He does not get paid for this work because he is expected to help the family. Johno has no choice in this situation and no chance of changing it. What tasks are you expected to do at home to help the family survive? How would you feel if you were placed in danger while helping out? Which child rights is Johno lacking?
Scenario 3: Suditi began attending the Raja Bazaar mobile crèche in Delhi when she was two years old. When she started going to the crèche she was diagnosed as being malnourished and in urgent need of proper nutrition. Despite her parents’ best efforts, Suditi refused to eat, accepting only her mother’s milk, and as a result she often got sick. Staff members at the crèche began introducing her to porridge and other home-made food. Further advice from the doctor recommended a tailored diet of bananas and eggs. After almost a year, Suditi has gained weight and will eat anything that is given to her. The improvements in her health mean that she has also become an active child, enthusiastically engaging in a variety of activities.
Feeding minds, fighting hunger. www.feedingminds.org/fmfh/home/en/
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Scenario 1: Imagine that you are a girl in a village in Africa. You spend 4 hours each day collecting water and 2 hours each day preparing food for the family. You do not have time to go to school. You have no choice in this arrangement. How do you feel about your situation? Is this fair? Which of your rights are not being met?
How does Suditi’s situation compare to your experience at kindergarten? Which child rights were you able to enjoy because your parents sent you to pre-school? Which child rights will Suditi most likely enjoy now that she is at pre-school? Explain why you think it might be possible that Suditi’s life could follow the same path as yours into school and beyond.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.4: The Right to Healthcare
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC
Under-five mortality declined between 1990 and 2008 Trends in the under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), by region
Session 3.4 The Right to healthcare What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture Currently, more than 8 million children under five die every year.17 Target 4A of MDG no.4 is to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the mortality rate of children aged under five. The first two years of life are the most critical in children’s development and determine the cognitive, physical social and emotional potential of children. Future child wellbeing and productive participation in life finds its foundations in these early years. Key points • Between 1990 and 2008, the number of children in developing countries who died before they reached the age of five dropped from 100 to 72 deaths per 1000 live births. • Almost 9 million children still die each year before they reach their fifth birthday. • The highest rates of child mortality continue to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, where in 2008, one in seven children died before their fifth birthday. • Of the 67 countries defined as having high child mortality rates, only 10 are currently on track to meet the MDG target. The Australian picture Australian children and young people, broadly speaking, experience good physical health. Mental health is the most significant concern throughout the Australian population. However, some Australian children and young people do not have their right to the highest attainable standard of healthcare under Article 24 of the CRC. These children include: • Indigenous children • disadvantaged children
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• children living in rural and remote areas • children in out-of-home care • children with a disability18
Many countries were on track in 2008 to reach MDG 4, but progress needs to accelerate in subSaharan Africa and South Asia
Indigenous children and young people who live in remote areas are particularly disadvantaged in comparison to their urban counterparts.19 There are huge disparities between Indigenous and nonIndigenous children’s health status in Australia. This is highlighted by the fact that: • the infant mortality rate for Indigenous children is three times that for non-Indigenous children • almost one in seven Indigenous Australians report being unable to see a doctor when needed.20 Furthermore, the increase in child mental health issues is of concern in Australia. Mental health issues account for almost one quarter of all child health-related problems (0–14 years) and account for almost half of youth health-related problems (15–24 years).21
On track: Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) is less than 40, or U5MR is 40 or more and the average annual rate of reduction (AARR) in U5MR observed for 1990–2008 is 4.0% or more. Insufficient progress: U5MR is 40 or more, and AARR is less than 4.0% but equal to or greater than 1.0%
Finally, the rate of youth suicide – particularly among Indigenous children and adolescents experiencing homelessness – is a serious child rights health issue.22
No progress: U5MR is 40 or more, and AARR is less than 1.0% Data not available
Teacher as learner inquiry • What can I do to ensure the good health of the students in my care?
This map is stylized and not to scale. It does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties.
Source for all figures on this page: Country-specific estimates of the under-five mortality rate are from the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2009 (reanalysed by UNICEF, 2010).
Source: http://www.devinfo.info/pfc/download/progress_for_children_No9.pdf
• Which part of the curriculum focuses on good health at my school?
17
• How can I help my students to be aware of the impact of good health for survival and enjoying a long and happy life?
20 COAG Reform Council, Council of Australian Governments, National Healthcare Agreement: Baseline performance report for 2008-09 (2010) xvi, xxiv, 104-05; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, above n 197, 300; Australian Government, Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s Report 2010 (Report No 2, 2010) pgs 16-17.
The World Health Organistion www.who.int/topics/millennium_development_goals/child_mortality/en/index.html
18
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, Australia’s Health 2010, (23 June 2010).
19
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, Australia’s Health 2010, (23 June 2010), pgs 228-229.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, above n 197, 299; Stephen Begg et al, The burden of disease and injury in Australia 2003 (Report, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 25 May 2007); Patrick McGorry, Eóin Killackey & Alison Yung, ‘Early intervention in psychosis: concepts, evidence and future directions’ (2008) 7(3) World Psychiatry; Patrick McGorry, Eóin Killackey& Alison Yung, ‘Early intervention in psychosis: concepts, evidence and future directions’ (2008) 7(3) World Psychiatry, pg 306.
21
22
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Concluding Observations: Australia, UN Doc CRC/C/15/Add.268 20 October 2005, [62-4] at pg 51.
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.4: The Right to Healthcare
my life, my struggle
Student activity: My life, my struggle I am a 13-year old girl. My name is Rukhsana and I belong to a poor family of the Dinajpur district in Bangladesh. My father is a day labourer and I am the eldest among my other two siblings.
Learning Objective To understand the difficulties faced by children, especially children with disabilities, when access to healthcare is denied.
Description of activity This is a reading comprehension activity. The length and content of this story may be more suited to older students. For younger students highlight and define any unknown words in the story. Students can complete the questions in the activity as individuals, in pairs or as a class.
Resources/ Tips • Rukhsana’s story ‘My life, my struggle’ is on the student activity sheet along with the questions. • Provide students with extra paper for their responses.
My life began with a struggle when I was born physically challenged. As the days passed, I could neither sit, stand, or walk. I was unable to hold anything or eat by myself. People around me, even those closest to me, hated me and badly treated me both physically and mentally. I was the curse of the family and my mother was the person to be blamed and she cried a lot. My mother went to various doctors, spent money and in the end she was beaten by my father because I was not improving. When I turned five I began to understand my mother’s suffering on top of mine. At that time my mother found out about the Plan-supported clinic for physically challenged children in my area. She took me there, and since then, my life has turned around. The ceaseless efforts of the health workers and doctors gave hope to both my mother and father. With regular exercise I started to learn to sit, stand, eat with my own hand and to write as well. Although I was not welcomed at school in the beginning, the health workers from the clinic provided an orientation which helped the headmaster better understand my situation and I was accepted eventually. Now, I receive a government allowance, I have an iron cart to go to school and a ramp has been made for me to enter the classroom. I am in class three. My parents are happy and everybody loves me. I do not need anybody’s pity; however I need empathy as I have dreams I would like to accomplish in the coming years.
Further Reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York.
1. Explain why all children need to stay healthy? What could happen if they are not healthy?
Fagan, A., 2010. The Atlas of Human Rights. Earthscan, United Kingdom. Moccia, P. editor-in-chief, 2009. The state of the world’s children (special edition). Celebrating 20 years of the convention on the rights of the child. UNICEF, New York.
2. Draw a simple diagram or flowchart which shows the importance of the following factors in ensuring good health. Write your thoughts and ideas on the lines connecting the factors. Clean water, sanitation, medical assistance nearby, nutritious food, immunisation, education, exercise and play. 3. Circle or highlight the factors which help Rukhsana to enjoy good health. 4. Explain how the world would be a better place if every child had good health.
Labour ward in Mwanza, Tanzania. Father helps daughter with her studi
es in Bangladesh.
40
Common Threads
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.5: The Right to Education
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC
100 million primary-school-aged children were out of school in 2008; more than 75 million were out of school in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Teacher as learner inquiry
Number of primary-school-aged children out of school, 2008.
• Do my students realise how lucky they are to be receiving a good education?
Session 3.5 THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION
• How can I impart to my students that, for many millions of people, education is the centre of escaping poverty? • What can I do to make life-long learning an expected outcome for my students?
What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture Target 2A of MDG2 is to ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. School access and attendance are factors that can determine the success of a child’s education. Attendance promotes academic performance: lack of access to schooling can be extremely detrimental. Education is a crucial factor in ending global poverty. With education, employment opportunities are broadened, income levels are increased and maternal and child health is improved. Key Points • Primary education enrolment globally rose to 89 per cent in 2008, but the rate of rise has slowed and despite great improvements in many countries, the target is unlikely to be met by 2015. To achieve the goal, all children at official entry age for primary school would need to have been in classes by 2009, but this was not the case. In addition to full enrolment, retention rates must improve dramatically. For example in subSaharan Africa more than 30 per cent of primary school students drop out before reaching the end of their schooling. Overall there are approximately 69 million children not in school – about half of them are living in sub-Saharan Africa and about a quarter (18 million) children out of school are living in southern Asia. • Systemic discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, social status, language or disability is a major obstacle to universal education. Children from economically poor communities and girls are the most likely to lose out, as well as children living in conflict areas.
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Common Threads
The Australian picture Most Australian children have access to an excellent education. However, some groups of Australian children do not have access to excellent educational opportunities and as such do not have the chance to achieve their full potential. These groups include:
Note: Estimates are based on primary school net enrolment ratio or net attendance ratio, 2003–2008. Source: UNICEF global databases, 2010, and UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Centre, 2010. Number of primary-school-aged children out of school, 2008 Source: http://www.devinfo.info/pfc/download/progress_for_children_No9.pdf
In more than 60 developing countries, at least 90% of primary-school-aged children are in school; enrolment/ attendance levels are generally lower in African and Asian countries. Primary school net enrolment ratio or net attendance ratio
• Indigenous children • disadvantaged children • children from refugee and newly arrived backgrounds • children in out-of-home care and • children with a disability23 This problem exists even although Australia has a high rate of school attendance. Despite these high levels of school attendance, 30 per cent of Year 9 students in Australia have only basis literacy skills.24 This indicates that the type of education being received by these groups of children is not addressing their specific educational requirements.25 Furthermore, access to quality early childhood education, in the years before attending formal school, is out of reach for many Australians. Early childhood education in the form of preschool is under-funded, expensive and often unavailable in many areas, particularly rural areas.26 Finally, it has been reported by parents of children with disabilities that Australian children with disabilities do not receive the same level, depth or quality of education as children who do not have a disability.27 Furthermore, many children and young people with disabilities experience difficulties at school that are not experienced by the general population.28
Less than 50% 50–89% 90–100% Data not available
This map is stylized and not to scale. It does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties.
Sources for both maps: UNICEF global databases, 2010, and UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Centre, 2010. Data range is 2003–2008.
23 24
Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, p 25. Ibid
25
Dr Ben Jensen, ‘Measuring What Matters: Student Progress’, (Report No. 2010-1, Grattan Institute, January 2010) 3.
26
Centre for Community Child Health and Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, ‘A Snapshot of Early Childhood Development in Australia’ (National Report, Australian Early Development Index, 2009 Reissue March 2011) 16.
27
Ibid pg 26
28
Ibid, citing a 2008 report by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood and Development
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.5: The Right to Education
from the streets to school
from the streets to school Learning Objective To consider the importance of the right to education through the eyes of a young girl.
Description of activity This is a reading comprehension activity. It requires students to respond to the impact of the denial of education to a young girl and the consequent improvement to her life when she starts receiving a regular education. The length and content of this story may be more suited to older students. Please read it beforehand to ascertain its suitability for younger students. As a class, highlight and define any unknown words in the story.
Resources/ Tips Provide class access to the article ‘From the streets to school’.
Further Reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York. Fagan, A., 2010. The Atlas of Human Rights. Earthscan, United Kingdom. Moccia, P., 2009. The state of the world’s children (special edition). Celebrating 20 years of the convention on the rights of the child. UNICEF, New York.
Children learning in school in Laos.
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At the age of four, Amena was collecting scattered rice from the rice market to eat. Her early years were spent living on the street, but through the assistance of a local Drop-in Centre her life has been transformed. Before Amena was born, her father married another woman and left her mother with no money and no place to live. Pregnant Woman reads to children in drop-in centre in Bangladesh. and desperate to find a job to support her unborn child, Amena’s mother moved to Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. Here she found a room in a slum and a position as a part-time maid. When Amena was born, her mother was forced to leave her at home unattended while she returned to work, only able to return on breaks to feed her. As Amena grew older she continued to spend her days alone. She would collect rice at the market with other children and when she became tired, she would find an open corner on the street to sleep. The rice Amena collected was the only food she and her mother had to eat and with no money and no education, her future seemed bleak. However, when Amena was nine years old, she met social workers at a local Drop-in Centre who invited her to stay during the day while her mother was at work. At the centre, Amena was taught how to read and write and the social workers encouraged her mother to enrol her in a formal school. Plan Bangladesh has been supporting the development of further Drop-in Centres in order to address the needs of more children like Amena. The project, ‘Improving Development Opportunity for Street Children’, intends to provide basic services and facilities for street children in order to develop their capacity and access to income-earning opportunities. There are currently 13 Drop-in Centres and Night Shelters in Dhaka and children come from the areas surrounding each centre to watch television, play indoor sports, participate in art sessions, and much more. It was through the support of staff at the Drop-in Centre that Amena’s life began to gradually change. She gained an interest in her education, learned to play musical instruments and to sing and has developed strong self confidence through ‘life skills training’ activities. This has taught her how to protect herself, how to behave with
elders, and how to move around the city safely. She is able to give advice to other children and to be a mediator if anybody is hurt or teased in her neighbourhood. At the Drop-In Centres, children like Amena who are recognised as having potential to motivate and mobilise other children, are selected as ‘peer educators’. Peer educators visit the designated locations and talk to street children about their vulnerability, the risks of living on the street and the protection available through the Drop-in Centre. The peer educators encourage other children to make use of the services which include taking a bath, rest and recreation, some meals, and awareness activities on child rights and related issues, such as child protection, child marriage and education. To support and guide the peer educators, one ‘peer monitor’ is assigned per group of 20 educators. Amena has progressed to the role of peer monitor which sees her assist and guide the peer educators. Amena’s mother, who continues to work as a maid, has one dream for her, “I want my daughter to complete her education and stand on her own.” The Drop-in Centre has provided a pathway for this dream to come true. “The Drop-in Centre, with the help of Plan, has always been a guide to my child and I am happy with what it has done for my daughter.” While Amena’s mother recognised the value of education she had no way to afford the school fees. Now in grade eight, Amena continues her association with the Drop-in Centre, working as a peer monitor and earning Taka 1200 ($17 AUD) per month. In order to undertake this role, she received training on child protection, child rights, life skills and protective behaviour. She was made aware of the bad effects of early marriage, the risks of being trafficked, and how to protect and overcome the problems faced by children like her. Amena has plans to complete her secondary school certificate and once done, she would like to receive training on clothes tailoring from staff at the Drop-In Centre. Ultimately, she hopes one day to run a dressmaking shop of her own and to rent a house in a secure location for her and her mother. The support offered through the Drop-In Centre has allowed Amena to begin to realise her dreams. Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC
Student activity: from the streets to school 1. Read the article ‘From the streets to school’. Complete the table. Highlight and define any new words you have learnt.
Session 3.5: The Right to Education
Amena was denied the following rights before going to the Drop-in Centre....
Amena accessed the following rights after going to the Drop-in Centre
2. Describe how Amena’s daily life improved once she began visiting the drop-in centre.
3. Predict how Amena’s improved life might have a positive impact on her family and local community.
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Common Threads
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education Primary school student in Ethiopia reflects on drought in the region by illustrating the issue.
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.6: The Right to Play
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC Session 3.6 The Right to Play
When will the children play? You can tell more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation (Plato)
What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture Children who are prevented from play lack the opportunity to develop independence (through solitary play) and cooperation (through shared play). Many children around the world do not have enough time or suitably clean and safe places to play. Play is well recognised as the means by which children interact with the world, developing language, social, emotional and physical skills. Use of imagination in play can be the first ways that a child can think about a better world. In locations where children are needed to fetch water, tend to crops, sell at markets, care for younger siblings or perform labour to supplement the family income, playtime may well be considered a luxury rather than a right. Yet Article 31 of the CRC states that all children of the world have the right to play and recreation. The Australian picture ‘We wish we had more space for fun play and activities’ 7-year-old Western Australian Child29 Many Australian children experience the right to play and have access to recreation areas, sporting facilities and parks. However, children who live in remote areas, as well as children who live in densely urban areas as well as many other children in Australia, often do not have access to adequate and safe play facilities. 29
Children living in Australian detention centres have been identified as being denied the right to play due to the lack of appropriate facilities, equipment and safe spaces to play. The Australian Human Rights Commission has expressed concern about the lack of recreational spaces and activities in immigration detention facilities.30 The Commission has also stated that detaining children in secured facilities is inconsistent with child rights and has urged for the practice to be only as a last resort and that provision must be made for children’s recreation and play in detention.31 The Commission found that children are detained in Australia without access to open grassed areas or shaded areas and that there was a lack of toys and games available to children at the detention centres visited.32
Teacher as learner inquiry • Is play and recreation time adequately built into the school routine/timetable? • Am I sure that each child is included in play and recreational activities while at school? • Does our school provide for passive and active, indoor and outdoor activities for students? • Could I introduce some new and unique activities in collaboration with the Health and Physical education staff (e.g. games from around the world)?
Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, statement from a child who participated in child consultations to the NGO Report, pg 28.
Australian Human Rights Commission, Immigration Detention in Darwin: Summary of observations from visits to immigration detention facilities in Darwin (2010) 12; Australian Human Rights Commission, Immigration Detention on Christmas Island (2010) 24; Australian Human Rights Commission, Immigration Detention in Leonora: Summary of observations from visit to immigration detention facility in Leonora (2011) pg 9, pg 12. 30
31
Ibid
32
Ibid
48
Common Threads
Play is ‘brain food’. It is how children experience fun, joy and success.
Children build social skills when playing with family and friends. They learn how to take turns, share and assert themselves.
Play is an essential part of growing up to ensure that children reach their full potential.
Play-time can unlock a child’s creativity and imagination.
Children can process and manage emotions through play.
There is no more constructive activity than play.
Play builds self-esteem when kids discover things they are good at.
Play helps children to learn about the world in which they live. Children discover, explore and test ideas through play.
Play can help children to test out being a doctor, a builder, a hairdresser, a lawyer, a farmer.
Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC
Student activity: When will the children play?
when will the children play? Learning Objective
1. Listen carefully as the statements about play are read out. Working in pairs, make a list of as many play-time activities that you can think of.
To understand that play and recreation are crucial to development and learning.
Description of activity
Session 3.6: The Right to Play
This activity has three parts. 2. Think about the children in the photo below. Write three questions that you would like to ask these children, about play in their daily routine.
1. The teacher reads out the below statements to the class (alternatively, ask various students to read the statements). Students are required to listen and then respond on the student activity sheet. 2. Students reflect on a photo on the student activity sheet and write three questions they would like to ask the children in the photo. 3. Students read a paragraph about how some children don’t get to play because of work commitments. They then undertake one of the activities listed on the student activity sheet or make-up their own activity to convince the community about the importance of play.
Resources/ Tips Read the ‘When will the children play?’ statements on page 49 aloud to the class, or copy these statements on to the interactive whiteboard.
Further Reading Browett, J. and Ashman, G., 2010. Thinking globally: global perspectives in the early years’ classroom. Curriculum Corporation, Australia. Ginsburg, K.R., 2007. The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. ‘Pediatric’: Vol. 119, No. 1 January 2001, pp.182-89. (accessed 2nd June, 2011) http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;119/1/182
Students playing football in school during break time in Ethiopia.
The three questions I’d like to ask the children in this photograph are: 1. 2. 3.
Many children in the world have to work to support their family. This may be paid work such as selling goods at a market or shop, stitching clothes or collecting bags of fuel to sell. It may be unpaid work such as fetching water, looking after animals or crops or looking after smaller siblings. It is easy to hope that ‘this just shouldn’t happen’ but the reality is that child labour is sometimes essential to a family’s survival.
3. How could you convince a community about the importance of children having time to play? Choose one of the following actions OR design your own.
Write a speech for parents about the right to play Write a letter to the school principal about how important play-time is for you Produce and perform a rap song for a school assembly Research and participate in a class debate about ‘Play is important throughout childhood’. Girls play with beads in a Plan-supported Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) playgroup in Timor-Leste.
50
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Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.7: The Right to Protection
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC Session 3.7 The Right to Protection
Teacher as learner inquiry • Is there a need in my classroom and school for my colleagues and me to be aware of child protection issues? • What is my duty of care in relation to these issues? • Where can I seek advice on these issues if I perceive a need? • What techniques can I use to talk to my students about these sensitive issues?
What do I need to know as an educator? The right to protection relates to many different areas for children, from abuse to exploitation at work. In this session we look at child labour as one aspect of child protection. The global picture The International Labour Organisation (2010) states that the global number of child labourers stands at 215 million.33 These children generally forfeit an education for insufficient wages and the risk of exploitation. Article 32 of the CRC does not specifically forbid children from working. It aims to protect children from exploitation and performing work that is likely to be hazardous. Some children work for no wages and to help their family to survive. However, 126 million children are estimated to be involved in hazardous labour such as operating machinery, working in mines and on construction projects. Some examples of child labour are: • Agricultural labour in Egypt • Carrying salt baskets from mines in Uganda • Sorting fish for drying in Pakistan • Weaving carpets and fabrics in Pakistan As well as damaging their health and physical development, working children have much less access to education and are therefore socially disadvantaged as their ability to break out of the poverty cycle is greatly impeded. It must be noted that in many instances children working is not harmful. Helping with tasks and chores can aid in a child’s overall development. The key distinction is the whether or not the child’s rights are sensibly adhered to by the supervising adults. 33 34 35
The Australian picture All Australian States and Territories have different provisions that regulate, to varying degrees, children’s work. These provisions provide contrasting protections to children from exploitation and inappropriate work. The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre recently conducted a nationwide survey on child rights with over 600 children and young people. When children and young people were asked about work most children reported that the hours they worked did not adversely affect their education. 48.5 per cent of children and young people said that if they had a problem at work they would speak to someone about it to help them resolve the problem.34 However, children reported problems associated with poor pay, exhaustion, unpleasant customers, physical injuries, bad working hours, stress, unsympathetic bosses and less time with friends and families. 10.2 per cent of children and young people interviewed said their work was dangerous or potentially harmful. These mostly related to lifting heavy objects and other laborious tasks.35 This presents a snapshot of the Australian situation with respect to children’s work and demonstrates that there are some gaps in Australian law with respect to safe work for children.
Children hide behind bundles of tobacco in Malawi where tobacco estates are common.
Accelerating Action Against Child Labour, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Global Report on Child Labour 2010, pg xi Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, Child Rights Survey in Australia, 2010-2011, Listening to Children: NGO CRC Report, Appendix 3. Ibid
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Weaving Child Rights into Global Education
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.7: The Right to Protection
the right to protection from child labour
Student Activity: The right to protection from child labour 1. In groups of three write a list of reasons why children might be forced to work. After you have brainstormed for 5 minutes share your ideas with the class.
Learning Objective To explore the issues behind child labour and give students an opportunity to voice their opinions.
Description of the student activity This activity has three parts. 1. In groups of three, students brainstorm reasons why children may have to work and share these reasons with the class. Possible causes of child labour are listed below: • Lack of decent jobs for adults. • Large families require a variety of incomes to feed their members. • Some jobs require small hands and bodies (sewing, crawling in small spaces). • Agriculture jobs pay by the amount of produce picked. This system encourages families to bring more children into the field to help collect farmed goods. • Poor families can’t afford to send their children to school. • Many families around the world are unfamiliar with the rights of their children and deem it acceptable to send children to work. • Girls are often kept at home to look after younger children and do household chores. 2. Students individually reflect on those reasons as justification for child labour. They should think about: what if a child needs to work to help the family, or what if a parent is disabled and can’t work, and so on. Students then write their thoughts on the activity sheet.
3. Ask the students if there are any jobs that children, under any circumstance, should not be permitted to do? To help with the answer to this question here is a list of jobs prohibited by anyone under the age of 18 (from the Fair Labour Standards): • Manufacturing or storing explosives • Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle • Coal mining • Logging and sawmilling • Power-driven wood-working machines • Exposure to radioactive substances and ionizing radiants • Power-driven metal forming, punching, and shearing metal • Mining, other than coal mining • Meat-packing or processing (including power-driven meat slicing machines) • Operation of bakery machines • Operation of paper product machines • Manufacturing brick, tile and related products • Power driven circular saw, band saws and guillotine shears • Wrecking, demolition and ship breaking operations • Roofing operations • Excavation operations
Resources/Tips
Further Reading
See ideas for answers above. These questions are likely to spark a debate in the classroom. None of these questions have right or wrong answers. Explain to the students that these are issues that governments and law-makers grapple with often.
AusAID, Child Protection Policy, 2009. www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/child_protection.pdf
2. By yourself, reflect on the above reasons – do any of them justify child labour? Do you think children should work to help feed their families? What if a parent is disabled or incapable of providing food for the family – should the child miss out on school and work instead? Is there a solution to child labour? What is it? Who could help? Write your ideas and thoughts here:
3. Are there any jobs that children, under any circumstance, should not be permitted to do? Write your responses here:
Child labour stories.http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=child&sei-redi r=1#search=”child+labour+stories” Fagan, A., 2010. The Atlas of Human Rights. Earthscan, United Kingdom.One World Guides, Child labour. What’s going on? Child labour in Brazil. Lesson 3. View video.www.un.org/works/goingon/labor/ lessonplan_labor.html
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.8: The Right to Participation
Module 3 : Exploring the CRC
Children with disabilities There is no national approach to obtain the views of children and young people with disabilities. This prevents children and young people with disabilities from having the opportunities to express their views on an equal basis with others. It is also a barrier to addressing and overcoming the discrimination that children with disabilities experience in the community at large.
Session 3.8 The Right to Participation
Teacher as learner inquiry • What opportunities are there in my classroom for inclusive participation? • Do I give all children the same chances and allow every child to have their say? • Do I ensure that in volunteering to participate in activities at school, all children are physically, emotionally and psychologically safe?
What do I need to know as an educator? The global picture The empowerment of children and building the capacity of children to be involved in decisions and actions that affect them is inherent in CRC Articles 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. These refer to children being allowed freedom of expression, thought, conscience, religion and association. They address respect for the views of the child, the rights to privacy and the right for children to have access to information through the mass media. Although there are many instances when a child’s voice is not heard, these participation rights have inspired some development efforts to be inclusive of children’s ideas in local projects in schools and local communities. In recent years, interventions before parliaments have been made by young people and they have participated in dialogue with world leaders at several global forums such as the United Nations’ study on Violence against Children. The Australian picture “Young people will inherit the consequences of today’s decisions and I think that gives them the right to be heard” 17-year-old male, Tasmania36 Australian children want to be listened to in matters that affect them.37 The Australian Government has made some attempts to promote the participation of children in both individual and group settings, however the government continues to fail to meet Article 12 of the CRC and the standard outlined by the Committee
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Common Threads
on the Rights of the Child on children’s right to participate in matters affecting them.38 Despite some recent Federal initiatives Australia has not committed to developing appropriate systems to meaningfully engage children in government processes. Generally, the design and delivery of national policy initiatives have been achieved by adults without first consulting with and understanding children’s experiences.39 For example, within education, there are few opportunities for children to express their opinion and have a meaningful role in shared decision making. Student Council bodies have a limited influence and not all students have equal participation rights in these bodies. Indigenous children and children from disadvantaged backgrounds The participation of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and indigenous communities is not currently a central part of the design and delivery of government services or law reform. Indigenous children experience the most serious violations of their rights under the CRC, and in order to address this, their views and experiences need to be sought in a meaningful way. The experience of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap campaign shows us that not only are Indigenous children not being consulted, but all too often their communities are also not involved in decisions that directly affect them.40
Children take part in a hygiene training session in Pakistan. 36
Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, pg7
37
Ibid
38
Article 12 of the CRC and the Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 12 (2009)
39
Listen to Children: 2011 Child Rights NGO Report Australia, Child Rights Taskforce, pg 7.
40
Ibid
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MODULE 3: EXPLORING THE CRC Session 3.8: The Right to Participation
child participationGood for everyone? Learning Objective To discuss the importance of child participation to promote the wellbeing of a whole community.
Student Activity: Child participation good for everyone? 1. Looking at the photograph below, sit in a circle and add a sentence in response to the statement.
‘Putting children at the centre of development will lift a whole community out of poverty’ 2. a) List the advantages of having students look after a kitchen garden at your school that produces food.
Description of activity This activity has three parts. 1. Students have ‘circle time’ for the discussion of the photo on the activity sheet. Each student is encouraged to add a sentence to the analysis of the photo (see below for some of the answers). 2. Students are asked to reflect on participating in the kitchen garden. Firstly they are asked for the advantages of participating at their school; then they are asked for the positives of young people participating in caring for plants at their school and for the whole community; then a class discussion is proposed asking about which child rights are involved in having children participate. 3. Students are asked in what ways they are able to participate at school. Answers could include student representative councils, surveys, talking at assembly, volunteering on school fete working groups and so on. They are then asked to explain why participating in decisions that affect them is important.
b) In small groups, list why having children and young people in charge of caring for plants will have a range of positive outcomes:
Boy watering plants in school garden in Burkina Faso.
At their school
Resources/Tips Provide class access to the photograph on the student activity sheet. Arrange students in a circle on the floor. Place the following statement on the floor where each student can see it.
‘Putting children at the centre of development will lift a whole community out of poverty’
In their local community
Encourage each student to verbally add a thought/idea about the photo or statement. Answers could include: “If kids are involved, their parents will join in.” “We like being in charge of some things at school.” “Kids learn better when they do things like looking after a garden.’ “Having responsibility for something makes us feel good.” “It is fun to participate in new and different things.” “Adults take more notice when kids take charge of important activities.” “If something affects us we should be involved and have input into the way things are run.” “Our input matters.” “If we get shown and have things done for us how can we learn?” “Everyone in communities should get involved; young and old, boys and girls.”
Further Reading Anthony, D., 2011. The state of the world’s children. Adolescence: an age of opportunity. UNICEF, New York. Moccia, P., 2009. The state of the world’s children (special edition). Celebrating 20 years of the convention on the rights of the child. UNICEF, New York.
c) Class discussion: Which child rights are being met by allowing children to participate in an activity such as caring for plants?
3. In what ways are you asked to participate at your school? Explain why the participation of young people in decisions that affect them is important.
Girls speak out to raise awareness for child rights at a Plan-supported event in Paraguay.
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APPENDICES : Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Survival and Development Rights
Pictures for Session 3.1
The CRC states that every child has the right to:
Articles
Family relations and parental guidance
5,8,9,10,18,21,25
Life, survival and development
6
Registration, name, nationality, care and preservation of identity
7,8
Access to appropriate information
13,17
Health and access to health-care services
24
Benefit from social security
26
A decent standard of living
27
Education
28,29
Protection Rights The CRC states that every child has the right to protection from:
Articles
Illicit transfers and illegal adoption
11,21
Violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect
19
Armed conflict
22, 38-39
Child labour, trafficking, sexual and other forms of exploitation and drug abuse
32-36,39
Torture and deprivation of liberty and capital punishment
37-39
The Convention assures special protection, assistance and care for children who are:
Articles
Deprived of the family environment
20,22
Disabled
23
In conflict with the law
37,39-40
Participation rights The CRC states that every child has the right to participation through:
Articles
Respect of the views of the child
12
Freedom of expression
13
Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
14
Freedom of association
15
Right to privacy
16
Access to information: mass media
17
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Appendix 3 Consequences Chart
Other Useful Websites Plan International Australia www.plan.org.au Plan Youth Media and development http://plan-childrenmedia.org/spip.php?page=mediacenter&id_article=801&id_rubrique=2 From Cup to Crop campaign- Plan Australia www.fromcuptocrop.com.au/ Because I am a Girl website for schools- Plan Australia http://www.becauseiamagirlschoolaid.com.au/ http://www.plan-international.org/files/global/publications/about-plan/22148%20PLAN%20 Prog%20Guide%20AW%20COMP%20TAG.pdf Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/cross_curriculum_perspectives.html Feeding minds, fighting hunger www.feedingminds.org/fmfh/home/en/ Food Force interactive online game. Download available www.wfp.org/how-to-help/individuals/food-force Global Education Project www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au United Nations Cyber School Bus http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/ http://www.unfpa.org/rights/principles.htm
Group of primary school children from Laos with Plan school bags.
United Nations Commission for Human Rights: Convention on the Rights of the Child- Full Text http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm Save the Children- The Busy Teachers Guide to the World http://www.unfpa.org/rights/principles.htm The Global Movement for Children www.gmfc.org
Post: GPO Box 2818 , Melbourne VIC 3001 Office: Level 18 / 60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006 Phone: 13 75 26 +61 3 9672 3600 (outside Australia) Fax: +61 3 9670 1130 www.plan.org.au
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Plan is currently fully accredited and a trusted recipient of funds From AudAID. The Australian Government’s Agency for International Development responsible for managing the Australian Governments official overseas Aid program.
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Common Threads: Weaving Child Rights into Global Education has been designed for educators teaching Australian children aged between 10–13 years, and is aligned with the new Australian Curriculum. It provides the knowledge and resources needed to introduce the concept of child rights and responsibilities in a global context to Australian students. The guide is presented in three modules: Exploring Rights, Child Poverty and Exploring the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to be taught in its entirety over several weeks, however each module may be individually incorporated into broader units of work. Such an exploration can assist children to understand poverty from a rights perspective and instil the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be active global citizens in an interconnected global community.
“This is a great resource outlining Australia’s Commitment to the CRC in an accessible format for teachers and students. It illustrates the global nature of child rights and the connection to children fulfilling their potential”
“This is a great resource outlining Australia’s obligations to child rights in an accessible format for teachers and students; it illustrates the global nature of child rights and the connection to children reaching their potential.”
“The Child Rights guide is a valuable resource. There is a wealth of variety in both the information resources and the activities. I particularly appreciate the activities for the opportunity they provide students for some very sophisticated thinking.”
Matthew Keeley, Director, National Child and Youth Legal Centre
Catherine Branson, President, Australian Human Rights Commission
Michelle Hanger, Teacher, Avila College, Victoria
Plan International Australia Founded more than 70 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest children’s development organisations in the world and has no political or religious agenda. We work at the grassroots in 50 developing countries to empower communities to overcome poverty so that children have the opportunity to reach their full potential – and children are encouraged to be actively involved in the process. We unite, empower and inspire people around the globe to champion every child’s right to survival, develop to the fullest, be protected and participate fully in family, cultural and social life. Together with our supporters we can transform the world for children. www.plan.org.au