Alliance attacks government record on children

A year after a damning report into the UK’s treatment of
children was published by the United Nations little progress has
been made in some key areas, according to research released by the
Children’s Rights Alliance this week, writes
Sally Gillen.

The alliance, which is made up of charities including the
National Children’s Bureau and the Children’s Society,
says that there is “huge disappointment” that more has
not been done to address children’s human rights.

In October 2002 the report on the UN Convention of the Rights of
the Child criticised the government’s record on issues
ranging from child poverty to the accommodation of children in
adult prisons.

But 12 months on some young offenders are still resident in
prisons and no date has been set for their removal, which means
they have unequal access to education, healthcare and child
protection.

The report rejects proposals, outlined in Home Office guidance
on antisocial behaviour, to give education welfare officers and
teachers powers to impose £100 fine on parents whose children
regularly truant.

It  also criticises the failure of government to ban smacking
and eradicate child poverty, noting that one in three children in
Britain continue to live in poverty.

Full
report

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