‽istis reclaims children and young people’s rights (weekending September 5th 2020)
As a prominent UK Conservative MP (Lord President
of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons) ‘tweets’ a picture[i]
of some of his children with the caption: "The
holidays are over and my five older children certainly need and want to be at
school."
As the somewhat predictable, some less-than-adorable comments (perhaps twittering shrilly, foully, abusively or approvingly) fly in[ii].
‽istis reaches for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child[iii]
and reclaims children and young people’s rights:
‽ ‘rights’
not ‘deserves’
‽ regarding
protection, participation and provision
‽ the most
widely ratified human rights treaty in the world… ratified by all UN member
states except for the United States[iv]
Four of the 54 articles and agreements are
considered special. Known as the ‘General Principles’, it is suggested that they help to interpret
all the other articles and can play a fundamental role in realising all the
rights in the Convention for all children and young people. They are: non-discrimination
(article 2); the best interest of the child (article 3); the right to life,
survival and development (article 6); the right to be heard (article 12).
And ‽istis ponders further ‘the right to be
heard’, the right to give opinions freely on issues that affect children and
young people, with adults listening and taking them seriously[v]
‽istis hopes that schools’ councils[vi],
children and young people’s consultation groups and ‘parliaments’[vii]
across local authorities and the UK[viii]
have been given valid, reliable, evidence-based and unspun information - and that
they have been consulted:
‽ perhaps
on matters relating to being and feeling safe on returning to school (to mask
or not in corridors?)
‽ possibly
on the content of the curriculum (Kings and Queens if we have to; colonialism
and The British Empire warts and all; a history of power and oppression; a
history of labour, capitalism and the methods and means of production; a
history of democracy; a history of the development of the idea of children and
young people’s rights; a history of the usually-missing people and the usually
missing history…?)
‽ may be on
exams and assessment practices
…and not just consulted but properly listened to
and heard - with views pursued and ideas put into practice, or with clear
explanations given if the adults think that ‘in the best interest’ (article 3) justifies
other decisions, policies and approaches…
Oh, and ‽istis also hopes and expects that the children
of the prominent UK Conservative MP were given the option: to be photographed or not, to
smile or not… and that their informed
agreement was sought before the photo was shared with the good Lord’s apparent 418k
‘followers’ on an open global social media platform.
©
Pistis
NB: further reflections and comments linked to this
week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily
indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders
[i][i]
Sorry, apparently an ‘adorable picture’: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/jacob-rees-mogg-shares-adorable-4477508
[ii]
Many of which may upset the smiling children of the said Lord and Leader
[iv]
ibid
[v]
From the children’s version: https://www.unicef.org/media/56661/file
[vi]
Potentially helpful information: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/school-councils-and-pupil-participation#:~:text=A%20school%20council%20can%20provide,many%20aspects%20of%20school%20life.
