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Let us build a child-friendly Sri Lanka where all children can spend their childhood with smiling faces
Children are the future of mankind. Present children are the future citizens who are expected to undertake democratic, economic and social responsibilities in the world. A person between birth and full growth (up to age 14) of a person is considered to be a child. This period of an individual is known as “childhood”. 
For UNICEF, childhood has a more expansive understanding rather than the age element of definition. UNICEF states that “a child should live free from fear, safe from violence, and protected from abuse and exploitation. They must study, play and enjoy love and affection of parents and elders.”
Since this tender age children must be nurtured properly, enabling them to grow as useful citizens. If a plant is to be grown the way that one wants and produced expected flowers, fruits or any other benefits, it needs water, fertiliser and nutrients and also continuous attention since inception. When time passes on, the plant grows into a huge tree and delivers immense service to mankind. In the same way, children must be nurtured with knowledge, skills and social values along with love and affection to build up a physically and intellectually strong person.
Ensuring children’s rights
With the involvement of UNICEF, the United Nations declared the UN Convention on Children’s Rights on 20 November 1956. The convention carries specific needs and rights relevant to protection and welfare of children worldwide. Apart from the main convention, UNO has introduced Optional Protocols and various Ordinances relating to the subject from time to time.
Among other steps initiated by UNO with the intention of ensuring children’s rights, the declaration of Universal Children’s Day is one important step. It falls on 30 November each year. The great purpose of declaring Universal Children’s Day is to highlight the significance occupied by children in global development.
Another significant reason is to raise awareness in countries of miserable experiences undergone by children and emphasise the necessity of creating a favourable environment where children can spend their childhood free from abuse and exploitation.
The theme of the current year’s Universal Children’s Day is ‘Children’s Education for Sustainable Development’. The key element of developing children is providing quality education. Education does not mean mere subject matter knowledge. The concepts on human values, discipline and constructive attitudes need to be cultivated in children’s minds.
Today’s children are the future labour force in the world. To produce a constructive labour force, consisting of efficient professionals contributing effectively to the economy, children need to have diverse skills. Education should be able to equip children with such skills required by the 21st century job market.
The great purpose of education should be to build up intellectuals with knowledge, skills and human values. The intention of the UN is to encourage countries to develop children towards that end through quality education, protection of children’s rights and creating suitable environment for children to spend their childhood as children. A coordinated effort of parents, teachers, religious leaders, elderly community members and the government is important to fulfil this objective.
Plight of children in the world
UNICEF statistics reveal that children constitute 27% of the total world population. This percentage differs from region to region and from country to country. While the percentage of child population in developed countries ranges from 15 to 25, the corresponding range in developing countries lies between 35% and 52%. The African region has a larger percentage of children.
Legal provisions have been made by almost all countries to ensure protection of children’s rights. Many countries have agreed with the UN Convention on Rights of Child. Yet, many children in different parts of the world still spend their childhood in miserable ways. A considerable number of children worldwide are deprived of education, health and enjoying their childhood. Around 68 million children do not attend schools.
Among health problems, annually, around four million children die within the first month of their birth. Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition are the leading causes for these deaths. Another 300 million school children do not have pure drinking water and proper sanitary facilities. Poor health, malnutrition, various diseases and hunger are widely-spread health problems among children in the developing world.
Another adverse and depressing aspect in this field is child trafficking. Both male and female children are trafficked from rural areas to urban centres and are forced them to work in houses, factories, shops and hotels. Agents dealing with children trafficking fabricate rosy pictures about employment available in the city and transport children to be engaged in the above mentioned anti-social and illegal activities.
Nearly four million children are trafficked within and outside countries in all parts of the world. In addition to exploitation, these children are subject to sexual and various other abuses. Very young children in sub Saharan countries are sold to Europe and developed countries as slaves. Another tragedy is recruitment of children as soldiers in the regions where there are wars and internal conflicts.
The most affected children are socially and economically marginalised children from poor families. Contributory factors for this plight are poverty, breaking down of families, loss of parents due to natural disasters and poor implementation of law. Children in developing countries in general and in the African region in particular have become more vulnerable.
It is a disgrace to mankind to prevent children from enjoying their childhood and place unbearable burdens on their shoulders in an era of technological advancement and developed human civilisation like today.
State of Sri Lankan children
Out of the total population in Sri Lanka, children represent 15%. When compared with both developed and developing countries, statistics concerning education and health pertaining to Sri Lankan children are at a satisfactory level; 93% primary school enrolment of children prevailed in the period between 2008 and 2011 and has currently increased up to 99%. Completion of primary education has reached 98%.
As far as health statistics are concerned, there are impressive achievements. Children’s death before reaching five years of age had been 15 per 1,000 children in 2009. This ratio has come down to four per 1,000 in 2012. 37% low birth weight children in 1987 has reduced to 13% in 2012. Almost all the children are immunised. As a result of implementation of universal free education, free health service and welfare policies throughout, the country was able to achieve these results.
Sri Lanka is far ahead in achieving universal primary education, one of the Millennium Development Goals, when compared to its counterparts in the world. Sri Lanka is one of the first countries that signed and ratified the UN Convention on Rights of Child. Sri Lanka recently tightened the laws preventing abuse and exploitation of children and protecting children’s rights.
Ministries of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, Labour and Labour Relations, Education, National Child Protection Authority and Department of Police play their respective roles on behalf of the Government to enhance children’s welfare. These State organisations have initiated a number of programs from national to grass root level on sharing information, educating parents and rehabilitating affected children.
Despite these efforts being in operation, a considerable number of children in Sri Lanka still lead miserable lives. In rural and estate sectors there are about 60,000 children of schooling age who remain out of school. According to unofficial statistics, there are 150,000 children engaging in domestic servitude and labour work.
Both male and female children in poor families in the countryside are trafficked to urban centres. These children are employed in factories, shops, hotels, guest houses and individual residences. They do not have specific working hours or specific duties. In many instances, these children start early morning and continue up to late night. The hygienic conditions and working conditions seem to be poor. These children sacrifice their childhood for lousy financial gain.
Further, there is evidence of a substantial number of trafficked children being employed in hotels, guest houses and brothels for prostitution and some of them being provided for foreigners. Some male children in coastal fishing villages willingly keep company with foreigners with the intention of earning some additional income for the family. Some children are used for pornography.
Another disparaging fact is leaving mothers for Middle East seeking employment due to financial difficulties in their families. They leave behind their kids without arranging sufficient protection at home. In the absence of proper protection, many of these children are subject to sexual abuses by a close relative, a family friend or an alien person. Female children who become victims cannot have a bright future due to social stigma.
The International Labour Organization records that altogether, there are nearly 500,000 Sri Lankan children have been engaged in different illegal and anti social activities. Even though the accuracy of these statistics is questionable, it is apparent that a substantial number of children in Sri Lanka are abused and exploited in the hands of uncivilised people.
Manifold factors for miserable situation
Factors leading for children to fall into miserable situations are manifold. Poor knowledge of parents on the importance of children’s safety, less educational facilities in some areas and incidences of poverty are the key reasons for children to fall into predicaments. Parents willingly or unwillingly hand over their own children to trafficking agents for little financial gains without adequately considering the decency or the nature of jobs in which they are going to be engaged.
Changes that have taken place in society over the last several decades have created differences in living styles. The extended family system, where few generations live together in the same shelter, which we had in the past, was replaced by nuclear family. A nuclear family consists of parents and their children only. When both mother and father are employed, children are at home on their own. They get addicted to television and computers. The protection children received from grandparents in the extended family is no longer there.
Engaging children in laborious work, prostitution and domestic servitude is completely illegal. Such acts are a total violation of children’s rights. The Government of Sri Lanka has tightened the laws, protecting children from various kinds of abuse. Engaging children in such activities is an unpardonable offence. Culprits, if proven, would be punished by 20 years imprisonment and payment of compensation for the affected child.
However, some people take advantage of the rural poor and engage in trafficking children. Social stigma attached to this whole process prevents victimised children and families from seeking legal assistance. Sometimes the affected child is repeatedly exposed to abuse at courts. Proper implementation of the law has become difficult in these circumstances.
Nobel prize winner Kailash Sathyarti , an Indian national who voiced against child abuse, states: “Power lies not in money. We are living in the age of knowledge and information. That cannot come without education, good quality education. Education is the key to eradicate poverty and achieve prosperity. Parallel to education, children need love and affection. Rather than material gains, children prefer parental love. Affection by parents and elderly people fill children’s hearts with untold happiness.” This statement by Sathyarti emphasises the vital importance of comprehensive education in building up children’s characters.
Build a child-friendly nation
With the aim of accomplishment of sustainable development objectives, the Global Citizenship Education Program has been introduced and it is being implemented in many countries. Children have opportunities for a wide range of self-learning methods, carrying out research and projects, familiarisation of national and global issues and devising solutions. Shifting of education into a new paradigm enables children to acquire knowledge, skills and values to participate as active citizens and involve economic opportunities nationally as well as internationally.
The child population in Sri Lanka comprises better-off children, marginalised children, disabled, parentless children, street children and many others. All of them are to be treated as Sri Lankan children. It is a duty of everybody to create a favourable environment for all of them to live in happily, enjoying their rights. Activities in socioeconomic sectors in the country should be planned aiming at the child.
The Government alone cannot accomplish this objective. The corporate sector and civil society have equal stakes. Members in civil society can contribute through means of providing information to authorities concerned and refusing to patronise places where children are employed. Let us build a child-friendly Sri Lanka where all children can spend their childhood with smiling faces.
(The writer is Deputy Minister of Education and Monitoring MP for Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and can be reached via [email protected].)
