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Twenty-six early childhood educators from 20 countries came together at the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center, in November, 1999, to learn about teaching science to young children. Despite the fact that they come from so many different cultures and professionally they represent different domains in education, like teaching in the classroom, lecturing in teacher training colleges and at university, doing research, coordinating ECE programs, supervising and training, they succeeded in becoming a wonderfully cohesive and supportive group. The course was planned to present three approaches to teaching science, from an "emergent" to a structured approach. Workshops were conducted on art and music in science. Professional visits substantiated what was learned in the classroom. At the end of the course, the participants wrote short project proposals on some aspect of what they learned from the professional program or from one another. This project is, as it were, an integration of what they saw, heard and would like to implement in their own settings.
Commemoration of the Day of the Rights of the Child was initiated by Eddy Veerasamy, from Mauritius, who formed a small committee with Tashi Dolma Tumbakangphe, from Nepal. The group suggested a number of ways in which they could express their support for this important cause. Finally representatives were chosen from each continent to write a few words on the subject.
The Institute for Children's Rights in Mauritius, a recognized NGO, started operating officially in January, 1999, following the initiative of several pre-school educators to work towards the empowerment of the child and advocate respect for children's rights. This platform offers opportunities to its members to express themselves in a way different from the usual classroom situation. The modes of involvement were pluralistic, making the child the focal point, the rights of the child respected, the needs of the child understood by parents, the role of the parents in the right upbringing of children encouraged, and the responsibility of the state toward the growing child stated.
The IFCR has produced weekly radio programs with the view to sensitizing parents, the community and the state about the needs and rights of the child. A residential seminar was also organized for some 50 parents and parents-to-be on the theme "The Needs and Rights of the Child." The response was beyond all expectation. In the year 2000, the IFCR will focus on abuse, without forgetting, of course, the importance of intervention.
As secretary of the IFCR and member of the Amicale Maurice Israel (the Shalom Club in Mauritius), I have had the opportunity and privilege to come to Israel and meet representatives of many countries who advocate the rights of the child. On November 20, 1999, the world celebrated the 10th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our group decided to dedicate some thoughts to this effect.
Eddy R. Veerasamy
Teacher, Educator, Ministry of Education
Mauritius
From the Pacific Islands we have a description of our children as a part of nature and their role in making the world a beautiful place to live in.
Children are like the blossoms of a tree, fragile and scented.
They are the hibiscus in the garden, warm and welcoming.
They are the fishes in the sea, spontaneous and carefree.
They are the trees of the forests, vibrant and full of life.
They are mothers' delight in the morning and fathers' gift at night.
They are teachers' friends, heartaches, blessings and woes.
Without children our world would not be half as colorful, wonderful and vibrant.
To believe in children, their rights and dignity is to believe in the dignity of every human being.
Epenesa Esera
Head of Education Department,
National University of Samoa
Samoa
The representative of the Caribbean Islands stressed the responsibility of adults in fulfilling children's needs.
Our nations' future is the children of today. As a result, it is incumbent on us as adults to ensure that children's rights are respected and adherred to.
Yolanda Moel
ECE Officer,
Ministry of Education
Grenada
Children have a right to a pollution-free environment with clean water, clean air and a land free of toxins. Children have a right to education, care and protection.
Susan Chambers
Early Childhood Coordinator
Science Learning Center,
University of the West Indies
Jamaica
The emphasis from Africa is on examining the needs of children and ensuring that their rights are upheld.
The preschool years are crucial for the growing child. The good or bad experiences have a direct influence on the child and his development, his educational achievement and his later life in general. During the pre-school years the child is in the process of developing his personality, an important aspect of his development. His environment, the world he lives in, will definitely influence his growing self. This is why it is necessary to provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences at an early age so that the child can develop into a collaborative and productive citizen.
Hamid Ait Zenou
Trainer,
Ecole de Technologie et d'Administration
Morocco
In any forum, be it a group of young adults, preschool children, university students, individuals or social groups, ask "What are the rights of the child and how do we go about meeting them?"
That is a real puzzle, an abstract academic question for lively minds. But if you ask any person to identify ten things he/she liked most and ten things he/she liked the least at age five, you will get a number of responses. A summary of the responses will be the common basic needs of a child. These need to be restated in the form of the rights of the child at the beginning of the 21st century.
Reuben Chiluyi Makunda
Teacher, Kenyan Institute of Education
Kenya
Members from Asia expressed the following sentiments stressing the rights of all preschoolers to quality education.
Working with young children can be a source of immense satisfaction. In our effort to make the child "smart" let us refrain from stuffing too much information into that little head, taking it for granted that he "wants" to know. Let us try to preserve that innocence.
Vinita Apte
Director of Pre-Primary Teachers Training College
India
Korea attaches great importance to education. The Ministry of Education is the central government's organization responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to academic activities, the sciences and public education. Preschool is not compulsory although the six years of primary school have been free and compulsory since 1953. Compulsory education was expanded to three-year middle schools in rural areas in 1992, with the goal of expanding it throughout the country in the near future. The importance of preschool education has been drawing increasing recognition in recent years. The Ministry of Education has worked out a long-term development plan for the education of preschool children, calling for an increase in kindergarten facilities so that up to 90% of all children of kindergarten age can be admitted by 2005. With free education of all five year olds, we expect to expand free education to all three to five year olds.
Dr. Eun Soon Oh
Associate Professor,
Kongju Junior College
Youngmi-Go
Teacher,
Youngnomjoongong Elementary School
Eunkyoung Chung
Teacher,
Preschool Trust Fund,
Ministry of Education and Scientific Research
Korea
A child has the right to develop to his full potential. Let us give the best we have to our children. Let us not underestimate the capacity of our children. How do you answer the question, "Why is fire red?" MCTC-Israel helps you to find the answer.
Tashi Dolma Tumbahangphe
Trainer,
Seto Gurans Child Developmental Services
Nepal
Leave room for children to experience their own world, to explore their inner self and to live their own life.
Pairaw Phanichayakarn
School Administrator,
Promwit Kindergarten School
Thailand
Representatives from Europe wrote of the child's right to be unique and respected.
There is always more to learn, more to be done, more to become when you are a preschool teacher. To love and accept children is not enough in our work. So this year we have built a new preschool curriculum to give children much more freedom in thinking, expression and feeling. This curriculum introduces the child into a cultural environment where the book is the most important thing. Now when we celebrate the day of the rights of the child, the children of Romania want to send a message to all the children of the world: More books, less aids!
Viarica Preda
General Inspector for Preschool Education
Ministry of National Education
Romania
Following the foundation of the Turkish Republic after World War I, efforts were made to modernize both state and society. Reforms to achieve fundamental and broadly based social and institutional change were initiated by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revolutionary leader and the first president of Turkey. One of the proudest achievements of the Republic was the establishment of women's rights in the new social order. Another proud achievement was about children. Ataturk gave the first "bairam" to children in 1923.
As a teacher I believe:
Every child is unique.
Every child has a right to schooling.
Every child needs support and care.
Every child has his/her own rights.
Every child must be loved!
Hulya Hamurcu
Research Assistant,
Faculty of Education
Dokuz Eylul University
Turkey
No matter where this interesting combination of early childhood educators hail from, the sentiments expressed are basically that the rights of the child be respected in order to create a world in which we can all live a productive and constructive life.
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