All children have the right to protection. They have the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care and to grow up in a protective environment.A family is the first line of protection for children. Parents or other caregivers are responsible for building a protective and loving home environment. Schools and communities are responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment outside the child’s home. In the family, school and community, children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential.Thousands of children are not fully protected. Many of them deal with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or discrimination every day. Such violations limit their chances of surviving, growing, developing and pursuing their dreams.
Thus , Department of Education launched Awareness on Child Protection Policy in the country. Understanding the importance of child protectionand how to spread the message and it’s importance . The basics are:Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a family. If a family is unable to care for the child, steps should be taken by the authorities to address the reasons and make every effort to keep the family together.Every child has a right to a name and nationality. Registering a child’s birth helps to ensure a child’s right to education, health care and legal and social services. Birth registration is a vital step towards protection from abuse and exploitation.
Girls and boys must be protected from all forms of violence and abuse. This includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and harmful practices such as child marriage and genital mutilation/cutting of girls. Families, communities and authorities are responsible for ensuring this protection.Children must be protected from all works that are hazardous. Work should not prevent them from attending school.
Children are vulnerable to abuses for children are weak . The government, civil society and families are responsible for preventing abuses as well as helping children who are victims to reintegrate into their families and communities, if it is in their best interest.Justice for children should be based on child rights. Depriving children of their rights. All children have a right to age-appropriate information, to be heard and to participate in making decisions that concern them. Fulfillment of this right enables children to take an active role in their own protection against abuse, violence and exploitation, and to become active citizens.
In school, teachers who are knowledgeable to child protection policy could reduce risks to children’s safety and emotional well-being by promoting an environment conducive to positive development, effective coping, and resilience, promotion of children’s holistic development and age-appropriate physical, cognitive, and emotional competencies children Besides, this could make children’s rights a reality through programming, education, advocacy, capacity building, and influencing policies and practices.
By: Elizabeth L. Rodriguez | Teacher III | Samal North Elementary School | Samal, Bataan
