Children's rights need to be respected
There is a need for community watch groups to safeguard the child rights and activate the NGOs dedicated to protecting child rights. A UN treaty, of which India is a signatory, prohibits children from being even spanked by parents and teachers
OF LATE, there have been quite a few cases of extreme violation of child rights by the teachers and school administration leading to the death of children.
Even at home, many parents beat their children and often such cases go unnoticed. And all this, in the name of disciplining them.
A United Nations human rights treaty, of which India is a signatory, prohibits children from being even spanked by parents and teachers.
The international treaty creates specific civil, economic, social, cultural and even economic rights for every child and states that "the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration."
While the treaty states that parents or legal guardians "have primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child," it is the government that will ultimately determine whether parents' decisions are in their children's best interests.
The treaty is monitored by the Child Rights Commission (CRC), which conceivably has enforcement powers.
According to the Parental Rights website, the substance of the CRC dictates the following for US parents:
A United Nations human rights treaty, of which India is a signatory, prohibits children from being even spanked by parents and teachers.
The international treaty creates specific civil, economic, social, cultural and even economic rights for every child and states that "the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration."
While the treaty states that parents or legal guardians "have primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child," it is the government that will ultimately determine whether parents' decisions are in their children's best interests.
The treaty is monitored by the Child Rights Commission (CRC), which conceivably has enforcement powers.
According to the Parental Rights website, the substance of the CRC dictates the following for US parents:
- Parents would no longer be able to administer 'reasonable spankings' to their children.
- A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.
- Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
- The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent's decision.
- A child's "right to be heard" would allow him or her to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
- According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defence than it does on children's welfare.
- Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.
- Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
- Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
- Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.
Some of the things may be misplaced in the Indian context but many others are relevant to respecting the individuality of children.
There is need to create community watch groups to safeguard the child rights and activate the NGOs dedicated to the cause of protection of child rights.
There is need to create community watch groups to safeguard the child rights and activate the NGOs dedicated to the cause of protection of child rights.
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