I have to confess, I'm really struggling to find the right attitude about my social orientation course tonight ... I'm torn between feeling completely patronised and furious about the wasting of my time.
I've been busy all weekend, in Passchendaele, then with working on photographs until a few minutes ago. The deadline for the cultural guidebook for the city is today so I'm racing out the door soon to deliver the last of the images.
The more I looked through my copy of the social orientation text for something to blog, the more depressed I became ...
Today's gem. Did you know this about Belgium:
YOUR CHILD HAS RIGHTS
There is a text of law on the Rights of the Child. It applies for many countries.
In Belgium there is a Commissioner for Children's Rights. This organizations examines if the Belgian laws do not go against the rights of the child. (Yes, this sentence is copied precisely as it is in the book.)
A child (from the age of 0 to 18) has the right to:
- play
- participation = take the opinion of the child into account
- education and raising
- protection against beating, maltreatment or abuse
- religion: children mostly follow the religion of their parents; they may think differently or ask questions.
- health care
- information (for example): what are the rules at school? what is going on in the world? what happens when parents divorce?
- labour: children are allowed to earn a little bit of pocket money. They can help the parents in the household. They are allowed to sing, act or participate in sporting competitions. The children have to want to do it themselves. They have to continue to go to school. Real child labour is forbidden.
- clubs: children have the right to meet with friends. They are allowed to join in a sporting club, a youth movement ....
- privacy: children have the right to an own spot in the house, keeping a diary, letters of friends ...
- healthy food
2 comments:
Ah, some courses have made me feel the same way!
Though I love that in Belgium, health care is consider a child's right, because in too many places it's a luxury. Sad, isn't it?
I sometimes wonder about immigrants health when they get caught in the system. I ran into problems while I was in limbo and if they had been serious health issues, my travel insurance would have sent me 'home', to the country where I hadn't lived or worked for more than 2 years.
The other thought I had while typing up the rights of children from 0-18 years of age, was what I would do if my teenager got hold of these rights and stated their right to go see friends where ever and when ever they pleased. According to what I copied, there seems no limits on what childrens rights are ... interesting.
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