Children’s right to protection

John Joseph L. Puno

THE vision of the Department of Education is that the agency is committed to being learner-centered and to upholding every Filipino learner’s right to education.

This means that all the efforts, reflections and projects of the Department are centered on the child. As a public institution, the DepEd continuously improves to better serve stakeholders, who are the children.

With the children at the center, child rights should also be at center stage, the DepEd said.

At this time, education stakeholders from public and private institutions are working together towards the protection of the rights of children. After all, the State must defend the right of children to assistance including proper care and nutrition and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development, as provided under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution also recognizes the role of the youth in nationbuilding, mandating the state to promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being.

With all stakeholders working together now, the new or better normal in education will leave no Filipino child behind, according to our officials. It is rather important for all stakeholders to help each other in helping young Filipinos achieve their goals.

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The author is Teacher III at Porac Elementary School