Quote of the Day
“Ensuring the rights and well-being of children is the key to sustained development in a country and to peace and security in the world.” — Carol Bellamy
These words appear in The State of the World’s Children 2002, published by UNICEF. Bellamy was serving as UNICEF’s Executive Director at the time.
Imagine a school where several children regularly arrive late.
The teachers are frustrated. Some believe the children are becoming undisciplined. Others suggest stricter punishments.
Then someone decides to ask the children what is happening.
It turns out that several pupils must cross a stream on their way to school. When it rains heavily, they wait for the water to subside before attempting to cross.
Suddenly, the problem looks different.
What appeared to be indiscipline may actually be a matter of safety.
This is a simple example, but it says something about leadership.
We often make decisions for people without taking the time to understand their circumstances.
And children are particularly vulnerable to this.
Adults decide what they should learn, where they should go, how they should behave and what is best for them.
Much of this guidance is necessary. Children need protection, direction and care.
But protecting children should not mean ignoring what they have to say.
Sometimes, a child understands a problem that adults have completely overlooked.
A good leader does not lose authority by listening.
A good parent does not become less responsible by allowing a child to express an opinion.
And a good teacher does not surrender control of the classroom by asking pupils what makes learning difficult.
Children may not always have the answers.
Neither do adults.
Perhaps one of the most important things we can do for children is to stop assuming that being older automatically means we understand their experiences better than they do.
Source: UNICEF — The State of the World’s Children 2002.
Did You Know?
Children have a recognized right to be heard in decisions affecting their lives.
A family is preparing to move to another town.
The parents have found better employment opportunities, and the move seems sensible.
But their teenage daughter is worried. She is preparing for important examinations and fears that changing schools could affect her education.
Should her concerns matter?
Under international human rights law, children have a right to express their views on matters affecting them.
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes this right and requires children’s views to be given appropriate consideration according to their age and maturity.
The Convention was adopted on November 20, 1989.
This does not mean children must make every decision themselves.
Parents, teachers and other responsible adults still have important roles in protecting and guiding them.
But listening should be more than allowing a child to speak before proceeding with a decision that has already been made.
In 2009, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child explained that simply listening is insufficient. Children’s views must be seriously considered when they are capable of forming their own opinions.
The Committee also emphasized that age alone should not determine the importance of a child’s views.
Think about what this means in everyday life.
A school planning new rules could consult its pupils.
A community designing a playground could ask children what would make it safer.
Parents making a major family decision could explain what is happening and give their children an opportunity to express their concerns.
Listening does not guarantee agreement.
But it helps adults make better-informed decisions while teaching children that their experiences and opinions matter.
Children should not have to become adults before their voices are taken seriously.
Sources: UNICEF — Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12 · UN Committee on the Rights of the Child — General Comment No. 12 (2009).
For Discussion
When important decisions are made in our families, schools and communities, how often do we genuinely ask children what they think?
Do we sometimes mistake children’s questions for disrespect simply because they challenge our decisions?
And how can we teach children to express themselves respectfully while also helping adults become better listeners?
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