Adchin

Nagahama, Yasuaki

DLM21

Children’s Rights

Children have the same rights as adults, children have particular rights that recognize their need for protection and also help them develop their potentials. Children are not helpless objects of charity or a property of their parents they are recognized as human beings and the subjects of their own rights. A child is an individual, a family and community member with rights and appropriate responsibilities for his/her age. Every children should enjoy the basic qualities of life as rights rather than privileges accorded to them. I am not familiar with my rights when I was a child, “wala lang akong pakialam nung bata ako”. There is no specific children right that were upheld by my parents but they taught me and disciplined me well. Rights include civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights. They can be categorized into three groups: Provision - children have the right to live and grow in an adequate standard of living, home health care, services, to play, a balanced diet, education and access to schooling. Primary and secondary schooling should be free; Protection - this is the right to be protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination including the right for safe children's environments and a constructive child rearing behaviour; Participation - children have the right to participate in communities. Children have a right to participate in decisions that shape their life and therefore should be given a chance to express their own opinion. But this right is only exercised considering the maturity and the best interest of the child not all decisions that a child makes will be supported by their parents or guardians.