How good do children know their children’s rights in the netherlands?.

How good do children know their children’s rights in the netherlands?.

Do children in the Netherlands know their rights? According to the new website Kinderrechteninbeweging.nl from the Kinderrechtencollectief, this is still not enough. Marieke Boon, theme adviser Tailored Education at Ouders & Onderwijs, spoke about this with Lars Westra (16), vice chairman of the Kinderrechtencollectief.

Between countries all over the world agreements have been made with the United Nations (UN) about how we treat people under 18 years. They have the right to decide about matters that concern them, both at school and at home. It is important that children themselves also know their rights well. The Netherlands does not meet that requirement of the UN. According to Lars Westra, vice chairman of the Kinderrechtencollectief, education can change that a lot.

Little attention in education

“I notice that children know very little that they have rights and what these are,” says Westra. “Because they do not know them, they do nothing with them. Children’s rights are the basis for the position of children; knowledge about this should be general knowledge. There is also too little attention for this in education. It should be part of social studies and/or citizenship.”

 

Skills

“And to really participate it is also necessary that children can discuss this with other people involved who may have different interests,” adds Boon herself. “Skills that children can learn at school, even more than now, and can practice with.”

OO Magazine is an independent, practical and opinionated knowledge magazine, set up for and by decision makers involved in Partnership Tailored Education within primary and secondary education. Publication: ww.oomagazine.nl – OOM number 5 © Instondo 2023