Session Information
25 SES 01, Children’s Rights in Pre-School, Early Childhood and Out of School Contexts
Paper Session
Contribution
Overview
This project aims to provide an introductory examination on ways in which the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (United Nations, 1989) is being upheld in early childhood education in Australia. Using implementation examples from two early childhood settings in Sweden as a benchmark, the project will investigate the beliefs and observed enactments of teachers and the lived experiences of children in two early childhood settings (one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous) in Australia to ascertain whether serious consideration is being given to the general mandates of the UNCRC and those specifically considered in the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009).
This project’s objectives are to:
1. Examine international law and Australian public policy in relation to a commitment to action regarding children’s rights
2. Examine the public policy and pedagogical practices in Sweden that has purportedly enabled the enactment of children’s rights in early childhood education across the country
3. Investigate the relationship between teacher’s epistemological beliefs and practices in upholding all children’s rights in both Australia and Sweden
4. Investigate young children’s lived experience of their rights in early childhood settings in Australia and Sweden
The literature
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (United Nations, 1989) is widely regarded by the international community as the most comprehensive statement on children's rights and provides a foundation for developing policies and practice about children. It resonates with emerging paradigms such as the sociology of childhood (Mayall, 2002) and childhood studies (Smith, 2007) where children are seen as social actors (Wyness, 2000), with the agency to actively participate in their society (Danby & Baker, 1998; James & Prout, 1997; Woodrow, 1999) and contribute valid opinions as capable citizens (Invernizzi & Williams, 2008; Neale, 2004). However, close to twenty years after the UNCRC’s ratification by Australia, Smith (2007) notes, “Children’s rights do not receive widespread public or political support in New Zealand, and perhaps even less so in Australia” (p.1).
By ratifying the UNCRC (1989), a country undertakes legal obligations to accord children their rights and therefore has a moral, ethical and legal imperative to enact these rights. Human rights cannot be of benefit to people unless people are aware of them. Article 42 of the UNCRC asserts that governments are obligated to make the Convention known ‘by appropriate and active means’ to all adults and children. This means that governments should make available the Convention’s principles and provisions to all sectors of the population, including incorporating the Convention into school curricula and, into the training of all those who work with/for children. With the government making the UNCRC accessible to all people, particularly children and young people, the community may begin to understand the commitment the country has to the fundamental human rights laid out in the Convention. This may then empower and encourage communities to develop a critical understanding of human rights (and the responsibilities that accompany these rights) as well as developing the attitudes, behaviours and skills to apply them in everyday life, particularly in relation to children and young people.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Danby, S. & Baker, C. (1998). 'What's the Problem? Restoring Social Order in the Preschool Classroom'. In: I. Hutchby, J. Moran-Ellis (eds.), Children and Social Competence: Arenas of Action. London, Falmer: 157-86. Invernizzi, A. & Williams, J. 2008, ‘Notions of children’s citizenship’, in Children and Citizenship, eds A. Invernizzi & J. Williams, Sage, London, pp. 1–7. James, A., & Prout, A. (1997). Constructing and reconstructing childhood. Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood (2nd ed.). London: Falmer Press. Korpi (2007) Langstead, O. (1994). Looking at quality from a child’s perspective In P. Moss & A. Pence. (Eds.), Valuing quality in early childhood services (pp.28-42). London: Paul Chapman. Lundy, L. (2007). "Voice" is not enough: Conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal, vol 33, no.6, pp. 927-942 Mayall, B. (2002) Towards a Sociology for Childhood: Thinking from children's lives. Buckingham: Open University Press. Neale, B. (Ed.). (2004). Young children’s citizenship. York, UK: Joseph Rountree Foundation. OECD. (2006). Starting strong II: Early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD. Smith, A.B. (2007). Children and young people’s participation rights in education. International Journal of Children’s Rights 15, 147-164. United Nations (1989). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. New York: UNICEF. Woodrow, C. (1999). Revisiting images of the child in early childhood education: Reflections and considerations. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 24 (4), 7-12. Wyness, M. (2000). Contesting childhood. London: Falmer Press
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