We are delighted to announce that Flinders has been selected to participate in a 15 month project exploring children’s rights and children as citizens for children aged birth to three. The project is a part of the South Australian Collaborative Childhood Project, developed as a result of Carla Rinaldi’s Thinker in Residence position in South Australia a few years ago.
So we have been thinking about children’s rights, about what it means to have rights, and how we enact this within our work at Flinders. We have been looking again at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Australia is a signatory. As we refreshed ourselves of this important document, a few articles in particular stood out.
Article 29 – Education should develop each child’s personality and talents to the full. It should encourage children to respect their parents, their cultures and other cultures.
Article 30 – Children have the right to learn and use the language and customs of their families, whether or not these are shared by the majority of the people in the country where they live, as long as this does not harm others.
Article 31 – Children have the right to relax, play and to join in a wide range of leisure activities.
If you would like to take a look at a summary of the full convention, please click here.
What are your thoughts on children as citizens from birth and possessors of rights?