[Education For Tomorrow: No 95, 2008]Children's rightsAccording to the Children’s rights Alliance for England the Government has failed to make any significant progress in meeting the 2002 United Nations recommendations on implementing the Convention of the Rights of the Child.* A key obligation of ratifying states is to make children, parents and professionals aware of the Convention, yet there has been virtually no Government publicity. * The UK is the fourth richest country in the world but over a third of the UK's children live in poverty and inequalities are growing. A child born into the best of circumstances can expect to live 13 years longer than the poorest child. In London alone, the lives of 41 babies would be saved each year were it not for socioeconomic inequalities. * Last year the Government said it would not give children the same protection from assault as adults. Seventeen European countries already protect children from all forms of violence in the home. * Gypsy and Roma children continue to fare the worst in education, with only 10 per cent achieving five GCSEs at A* to C compared with the national average of 59 per cent. Only 12 per cent of children in care gain average GCSEs; they are also over eight times more likely to be permanently excluded from school. * The UK imprisons more children than almost all European countries — around 3,000 at any one time. |