UN report on children's rights in the Czech Republic
The UN Committee for Protection of children's rights has urged the Czech authorities to make a concerted effort to ensure that the international Covenant of Children's Rights be fully adhered to. In a report released several days ago the committee outlines several problem areas which the country needs to deal with before it joins the EU in 2004.
Although the issue of children's rights has received plenty of attention in recent years and much has been said and written about the psychological and physical abuse of children, there are still areas deserving attention. In many cases these are "indirect" violations of children's rights where negligence is a major factor. One is the impact of environmental pollution on children's health in heavily industrialized areas such as North Bohemia. The UN team of inspectors points out that the incidence of allergies and asthma among children living in such areas remains a major cause for concern. Another task highlighted by the UN is minimizing the health risk on Czech roads - the number of children involved in road accidents remains high, and many could be prevented or minimized by the use of baby seats and helmets for young bikers. While in practice progress has been made in providing teachers with appropriate schooling, especially in helping to integrate handicapped children, the UN report claims there are inadequate statistics on issues such as sexual and physical abuse of children. Another draw-back, which the authorities are aware of, is the abolition of the institution of school doctors and dentists, mainly for financial reasons. Mrs. Jarmila Knight, who works for the Our Child Foundation, says that this was a serious mistake since regular check ups not only provided prompt medical care but also detected any signs of physical abuse at an early stage. However she points out that much has been done over the past ten years to try and improve children's lives and give them an education that will help them face the challenges and pressures of today's world.
"I think that the whole society and particularly the non-profit sector is very, very interested in putting things right and making life as pleasant as possible for our children - both family life and providing them with a better education. We want a more lenient and at the same time broader education for our children and we will see the results of these efforts in the years to come. Certainly there is plenty of interest and public concern as far as related topics go. Many, many themes and problems are being aired and dealt with. There are many projects underway concerning the well-being of children and I think that everyone is doing their best. We are aware that the situation is not perfect but there are very active steps to remedy that."
