Children: Our future citizens
Naturally everyone born in this society has to pass through a number of stages such as infancy, childhood, youth, middle age and the old age provided of course one remains alive without facing death immature. During the infancy and the feeble old age one has to depend on others for survival. Life circle is such that babies in the human world and the offspring in world of animals depend on their parents for survival.. Old and feeble grandmothers and grandfathers depend on their sons and daughters and grand children. If they are not kind enough on their part for the sake of the feeble lot one has to seek the assistance of social institutions such as homes for elders,
According to Buddhism birth is suffering, decay is suffering and death is suffering. One has also to suffer from ill health. This means that there is less suffering during childhood, youth and middle age. Childhood and the early young age are the periods when one prepares for worldly life. Children today are responsible citizens tomorrow. As such childhood is the prime period of one’s life.
MUCH NEEDED PREPARATION TO BE USEFUL CITIZENS IN THE FUTURE
Childhood is the period of learning. Since children are future citizens of the world the fate of the future world depends much on what the children learn today. Member countries of the United Nations have affirmed their faith in fundamental human right, dignity and worth of a person and have determined to promote and better standards of living in an environment of larger freedom.
The United Nations has in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed that everyone in this world is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind such as the age, race, colour, sex, language or other opinion , national or social origin, property, birth or other status
WHAT THE CHILD NEEDS MOST
The child by reason of his or her physical and mental maturity needs special safeguards and care including appropriate legal protection before and after birth. The United Nations General Assembly proclaims the rights of the child to the end that he or she may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his or her own good and for the good of the society the rights and freedoms and calls upon the parents, upon men and women, upon the voluntary organizations, local authorities and national governments to reorganize these rights and strive for their observation by legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the declaration.
ENTITLEMENT OF THE CHILD TO RIGHTS WITHOUT DISTINCTION OR DISCRIMINATION
Every child is entitled to these rights without distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, religion, political or other opinion national or social origin property, birth or other status whether of himself or herself or his or her family.
The child shall enjoy special protection and be given opportunities and facilities to enable him or her physically, mentally, morally spiritually and socially to live in a healthy and normal manner and conditions of freedom and dignity.
The child shall be entitled from his or her birth to a name and nationality and shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He/she shall be entitled to grow and develop in health. Special care and protection shall be provided both to him/her and his/her mother including prenatal care. The child shall be entitled to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
CARE FOR PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
There are children who are handicapped physically. There are deaf, blind and dumb children There are also deformed children sometimes without limbs and not able to move about. Further there are mentally handicapped children. Arrangements should be made to enable them to gain admission to special institutions such as schools for deaf and blind and their inherent rights for care, love and education etc. should not be denied to them.
CHILDREN FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILIES
Further, there are socially handicapped children such as those from poor families. There are some other children who are socially marginalized for various reasons not due to any fault of their own but due to the reasons of being born to families not cared for by civilized society. Children are born to families with income below the average. Such children should not be denied their legitimate right to nutrition, love, care and education.
Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care for children without families and for those without adequate means of support. A payment made by the State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable. Family income can be considered as a criterion in granting scholarships.
The child by reason of his or her physical and mental maturity needs special safeguards and care including appropriate legal protection before and after birth
The child by reason of his or her physical and mental maturity needs special safeguards and care including appropriate legal protection before and after birth
Sri Lanka has been ranked high in the achievement of education in terms of high literacy