Shairul Mashreque and Dr. Md Shakhawat Ullah Chowdhury :
The National Children Policy 1994 and National Plan of Action (NPA) are the ‘guiding instruments’ for child development action. The principal objective of State Policy is to formally’ harmonise all children development activities with the provisions of UNCRC.’ The government has already evolved operational strategies to implement National Children Policy (NCP) in tandem with the fundamental principles of UNCRC. The role of civil societies cannot be left out of equation. It can spearhead civil movement projecting child protection and safety right as a case in point.
The state is promise bound to promote child development through policy intervention. It is supposed to address the predicaments of the children thinking to mull steps to strategies of course in conformity with UNCRC. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was the first global guiding principle to develop a national policy. After ratification of the Convention and with the commitment to achieve the goals of the World Summit, Bangladesh has developed the following policies, plans and institutional framework :
The United Nations General assembly adopted the convention of the child (CRC) in November 1989 and it came in September 1990. The world summit for children (Sept. 1990), which strongly endorsed the convention was the first major global action for its implementation, the declaration and the play of action of the work summit for children and the conversation together constitute the global agenda for the well being of children. The guiding principle adopted globally is that the essential needs of children should be given high priority in the allocation of resources at national and international levels. Government of Bangladesh has signed the CRC in 1990 as one of the first 22 countries to do so. The ratification of the convention and the commitment to achieve the goals of the world summit were critical steps towards recognising the importance of placing, the well-being of children and the forefront of the social and economic development agenda in Bangladesh. The National Plan of Action (NPA) for the children was prepared by the government of accelerate progress on children’s issues.
Bangladesh formulated and updated child-related policy and plans according to the changing international agenda and global guiding principles. The policy intervention of the government in the realm of child development is reflected in:
i) National Plan of Action (NPA) for the children (1990-1995 & 1997- 2002) – 1992 and 1999.
ii) Bangladesh Decade Action Plan for the Girl Child 1991-2000, Initiated in 1993.
iii) National Policy on Children (NPC) – 1994.
iv) National Children Council (NCC) – 1994.
The major areas/sectors of goal of the NPA were ‘basic education’, ‘health and nutrition’, water and environmental sanitation’, ‘children in need of special protection’, ‘social integration, participation and cultural affairs’, and ‘information and communication’. The other goals were gender equity, elimination of child labour and children requiring special protection. The Guiding Principles and over-arching ‘strategies’ of the NPA were:
i) To follow the principle – ‘children first’;
ii) To ensure’ close collaboration of GO-NGO-Private sectors’;
iii) To ensure’ inter-ministerial coordination’;
iv) To ensure ‘community empowerment and participation’;
v) To follow the policy of ‘decentralisation’;
vi) To ensure ‘gender inequality/disparity reduction’,
vii) To ensure ‘sustainability’;
viii) To ensure ‘ poverty reduction’;
ix) To ensure ‘convergence of services and inter sectoral linkages’;
x) To ‘address the child as a total entity’; and
xi) To establish the right of ‘children as participants in decision making’ (GOB, 1998a 17-18).
In pursuance of the fundamental principles of the Constitution and the UN CRC, the Government of Bangladesh decided to formulate and implement a National Policy on Children (NPC) in December 1994, to ensure the security, welfare and development of children. The policy highlights the importance of providing adequate services to children, including health, nutrition and education. It also stipulates that a “proper family environment” is one of the main preconditions for the proper development of a child. The NPC identified the need for assistance to children in difficult circumstances, and ensures the protection of the legal rights of children within the national, social and family context. The policy clearly states that the Government has adopted the principle of ‘Best Interest of the Children’ – that is, in all national, social, family or personal situations, the best interest of the child will be held paramount (GOB & UNICEF, 1999: 20).
The following six were the main goals, identified by the NPC, to guarantee the rights of the children and to ensure various facilities and opportunities:
a. Birth and Survival – to ensure child’s right to birth and survival after birth with the provision of health, nutrition and physical security;
b. Education and Psychological Development – to ensure proper facilities for education and psychological development for achieving appropriate moral, cultural and social values;
c. Family Environment – proper family environment being one of the main preconditions for proper development of a child steps to be taken to improve the family environment;
d. Assistance of Children in Difficult Circumstances – to extend special assistance to children in difficult circumstances, provide necessary facilities for disabled children and establish equal opportunities for them;
e. Legal Rights-to ensure the legal rights of the children within the national, social or the family context;
f. Best Interest of the Children – to adopt the policy of ensuring the best interest of the children in all national, social, family of personal situations (GOB, 1994a: 9)
The NPC document identified several ‘steps for implementation’ of the policy under nine major sectors. These sectors were:
1. ‘Birth and Survival’ of the children (5 steps);
2. ‘Education’ of the children (9 steps);
3. ‘Psychological and Cultural Development’ of the children(7 steps)
4. ‘Ensuring ‘Family Environment’ for the children (3 steps);
5. ‘Ensuring ‘Legal Rights’ for the children (4 steps);
6. ‘Helping ‘Children in Difficult Circumstances’ (5 steps);
7. ‘Helping ‘Disabled Children’ (2 steps);
8. ‘Helping ‘Girl Children’ (1 step); and
9. ‘Ensuring ‘Best Interests of the Child'(4 steps)[GOB, 1994a:11-14].
NPC provided for the formation of a National Children Council (NCC) with the Minister of Women and Children Affair as the chairperson. The NCC is the ‘highest policy making body’ on the welfare of the country’s children. The concerned ministers, secretaries and individuals associated with children’s welfare and representatives of the organisation involved with children-related issues would be members of the Council:
Most experts on child rights opine that child related policies concern about children development, their participation and their rights. Obviously we have a cluster of good laws and programmes in connection with child rights and development. Notwithstanding legislative measures and programmatic intervention the most vulnerable children continue to suffer manifold harassments and negligence. They are growing up on the margins of society in a state of neglect and deprivation, without educations, affection, care and guidance. Once a child takes to the street there is a strong possibility that the child, both girls and boys may end up sexually abused and exploited. This is because survival becomes the sole priority – in the absence of alternatives, street children are forced to do anything, which keep them alive.
When the community makes plans, it dose not take into consideration the poor children’s plight. They tend to be excluded from participating in most of the activities and facilities of other children. This is one reason why they often do not have access to medical, educational, recreational and vocational resources. They face problems such as lack of vaccinations; poor health, illiteracy and they cannot acquire skills needed for finding jobs.
Society perceives the vulnerable children as children in difficult circumstances. Their vulnerability is at peak. This is due to the state of gap in existing laws and policies to protect their rights. There is no protection against child labour that may be termed as torture. ILO and UNICEF advocate for measures to curb child labour. The UN Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has been universally ratified. The present government is actively considering formulation of a National Child Labour Policy. It is, of course, a good move.
We have a child policy. But we do not have child labour policy. We may contend that if there is child labour there must be a control mechanism to erase its evils through legislation and public policy. One may wonder whether all such policy and legislative measures will be mere paper tigers. We have laws to protect child workers from the deluge of exploitation. The problem lies with implementation. If antiquated legal procedures and codes framed during the colonial period come into conflict with a future child labour policy the implementation process will be in the dock.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University, Dr. Md Shakhawat Ullah Chowdhury, Assistant Professor of Social Science, Southern University Bangladesh)
Policy intervention for child development
