Latest news with #childrensrights
The Independent
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Independent
French adult-only holidays at risk as campaign launches to end child ‘intolerance'
Adult-only hotels and facilities could be under threat in France after a new campaign against the 'no kids trend' accuses them of dividing society and excluding children. The push to end adults-only travel and tourism comes amid a dispute over whether intolerance is growing against children in France. This has been seen in groups such as the French Federation of Nurseries, which has campaigned for children's right "to make noise". France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, held a roundtable on Tuesday (May 27) with key players from the tourism and travel industry to discuss adult-only policies, as some politicians call for child-free spaces to be banned. "There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold," Ms El Haïry told broadcaster RTL. "Children and families are being pushed out and, in a way, this is real violence being experienced.' "It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country." 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury,' she added to radio station RFI, according to The Times. The move against adult-only hotels, restaurants and other facilities is not aimed at couples who choose to remain childless, but at adults who do not want to be disturbed by children, she said. Ms El Haïry also said children are being put 'in front of a cartoon' on public transport due to people complaining about noisy children, putting pressure on parents to keep them quiet. The commissioner added that lawyers are mulling over whether it would be feasible to take legal action against establishments that do not allow children. However, some lawyers say that there is no need for a new bill because they argue adult-only spaces could already be breaching laws that prohibit discrimination against 'origin, gender, family situation or age,' The Times reports. While the Travel Companies Union roughly estimates that only three per cent of commercial offers are adult-only facilities, this is not the first time French officials have tried to end no-children zones. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol introduced a bill a year ago that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. Ms Rossignol said at the time that the bill is aimed at promoting "a society that is open to children". The senator's bill proposed that "the exclusion of minors from living spaces, public spaces, commercial spaces, transport and any other exclusion that is not justified by safety requirements specific to children or by the lack of civil capacity also constitutes discrimination'. Ms Rossignol also responded to Ms El Haïry 's anti-adult-only campaign on X, stating: 'A year ago, when Ms El Haïry was Minister for Children, and to the utmost indifference of the government, I tabled a bill against no-kids places. 'I welcome her awareness. And if she wants to act, she should have this bill examined by Parliament.' While the socialist senator "is pleased that the government is taking up the issue', she doubts "the ability of commerce to self-regulate without a law that imposes a minimum requirement," and is therefore calling on the government to put its bill on the agenda of the Senate or the National Assembly. "We cannot allow our society to be organised around our intolerance of others, where people organise themselves to keep their distance from anyone who does not fit into their idea of their neighbours," she added in a statement on Wednesday.
The National
4 days ago
- Health
- The National
Abu Dhabi's new index to support well-being of children in emirate
Abu Dhabi Childhood Authority (ECA) has launched a system that collates data from different aspects of children's lives and can flag up if there is a need to intervene for the child's well-being. The system, which applies to all children in Abu Dhabi up to the age of 18, has been introduced to answer the question: how do we know if a child is thriving? The index will work by collating information from health organisations, education bodies and social services. Cross-referencing this data will allow the ECA to identify any problems affecting a child's well-being and their performance in other aspects of their life. Who will benefit The index will act as a guide for decision-making on everything from children's education, health, culture and emotional well-being, said another senior figure involved with the project. It will ensure that policies affecting children are grounded in evidence and real-world impact, and that progress can be measured over time, said Laila Al Hassan, director of outreach and partnerships with the ECA. She gave obesity as a clear example of where better data was urgently needed. "With this index, we can track if our efforts, from policy to urban planning, are actually working," she said. "And if they're not, we'll know we need to shift direction.' She shared two recent cases that illustrate how cross-sectoral data can change lives – names have been changed for confidentiality. 'Farah is 11. Every morning she watched her neighbours head to school while she stayed home, because her mother couldn't drop her off until late. She was caring for Farah's ill grandmother. It wasn't that Farah didn't want to go, she simply couldn't," said Ms Al Hassan. The family were flagged to authorities with evidence of a pattern of chronic absenteeism, which triggered an intervention. "The Social Support Authority arranged home care for the grandmother, and suddenly Farah could attend school like everyone else. Her attendance improved, her learning improved, and her whole future shifted.' Another case, she said, involved a six-year-old girl named Ayesha. 'She was an average student with frequent absences. She also had multiple hospital visits for injuries. Alone, each incident might seem unremarkable. Children fall. Families go through divorce. But together, the data painted a very different picture,' said Ms Al Hassan. 'Because we're now looking at children's lives holistically, connecting health, education, family and social support, Ayesha didn't fall through the cracks. She was flagged as high-risk and received the attention she needed. 'These stories aren't exceptions. They're examples of what's possible when government entities share data, collaborate across sectors and follow through. It's not just about collecting numbers. It's about translating insight into real help, at the right time.' Focus on wellbeing "Over the past three years, the ECA has convened with global leaders and UAE policymakers to discuss data-driven insights on child well-being," said Yousef Al Hammadi, ECA executive director of knowledge and impact. 'Children's well-being involves us all – caregivers, parents, teachers, clinicians, and society as a whole. There is already a wealth of data on children's education, cognitive and social development, early detection of developmental challenges, health care, mental and physical well-being, family cohesion, and financial stability. Our goal is to analyse these aspects holistically, identifying challenges and opportunities with the support of our partners." To achieve this, the ECA is working closely with organisations across different sectors, including the Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH), Department of Government Enablement (DGE), Department of Community Development (DCD), and others. Initial research showed there was no unified definition of a 'thriving child', according to the organisation. There are multiples phases to the index the first of which involves defining the framework and key indicators and is expected to be completed soon. The preliminary analysis is expected to be ready by the end of the year, while the final version of the index is expected to take up to two years. Global research The ECA is working with international partners from Australia, Europe and the US to ensure the project is in line with with global standards, while still being tailored to the UAE's specific needs. The UAE has already taken several measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children. Earlier this year The National reported how the UAE's first digital detox clinic for children had opened in Abu Dhabi offering a programme to address the growing problem of screen addiction in young people. The challenges facing those tasked with looking after the physical well-being of children were highlighted in a recent report by the medical journal The Lancet, which stated that one in three teenagers in the Middle East is expected to be obese by 2030. 'One of our major priorities is understanding what it means for a child to thrive. We have identified the characteristics of an 'aspirational child' – one who reaches their full potential in a safe and supportive environment," said Mr Al Hammadi. 'This project will not only help policymakers but also provide valuable insights for parents and caregivers. The goal is to ensure that every child in the UAE has the opportunity to thrive in an environment that nurtures their development,' he said.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Children's Law Centre wants ban on isolation in schools
Shutting a child alone in a room in school should be banned immediately, MLAs have is according to Rachel Hogan from the Children's Law Centre (CLC).Ms Hogan gave evidence to Stormont's Education Committee into pupils being restrained or put in isolation in schools.A written submission from the CLC said that "seclusion should never be used as an intervention in an education setting". The DUP MLA, Peter Martin, said there were some "extremely harrowing examples" of what had happened in Northern Ireland."The majority of these cases are occurring in relation to children with disabilities, often non-verbal young boys," Ms Hogan had said."It's so draconian, it's not the way we do things today," she later continued."There has been a significant delay in bringing forward promised changes."Ms Hogan said that it had been parents who had "dragged this difficulty into the light". 'Harm can be long term and lasting' Deirdre Shakespeare's son Harry was "restrained unnecessarily" in a chair in his school, a report by the public services watchdog previously Public Services Ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, later told MLAs that her investigation found that Harry had been subject to a level of restraint that "caused real distress".Mrs Shakespeare and some other parents have campaigned for "Harry's Law" to make it compulsory for schools to report when they have isolated or restrained a child."Restrictive practices can be harmful and that harm can be long term and lasting," Ms Hogan 2023, the Department of Education (DE) published draft guidance, saying restraint and seclusion should only be used as a last resort, after calls for tougher laws on when a child could be physically restrained in new laws have not yet been introduced. 'We heard of a child being tethered to a fence' The committee's deputy chair, Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan, said MLAs had previously heard of a child with autism who "had his hands tied to the chair with a schoolbag.""And more recently, we heard of a child being tethered to a fence," he continued."And his parents were totally unaware of that until they received the child's yearbook and there were photographs.""I can't even begin to process that, that is very shocking," Ms Hogan Hogan said that although DE had done a lot of work "there has been a significant delay in bringing forward promised changes"."How are we going to fix this if we don't reform the legislation that talks about force?" she asked."We need to make it easy for school leaders to know what to do."You should never use force in order to maintain discipline, particularly in relation to a disabled child."Use of any force to maintain order and discipline is just a whisker away from when we used to hit people at school, frankly." 'Inappropriate placements' causing difficulties Ms Hogan said that there was provision law for school staff to intervene if there was risk of "serious harm" to a pupil or member of said that teachers and school leaders should be thanked "for the difficult decisions they make every day".Ms Hogan also told MLAs that part of the difficulty was that the Education Authority (EA) was providing "inappropriate placements" in school for some children."A school has maybe said 'we can't meet the needs of this child,' and they're being placed anyway," she March, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) resigned from a taskforce set up by the department to look at the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. The RCN expressed serious concerns over the direction of travel by DE on the Department of Health had previously instructed that children and young people should never be shut in a room alone and prevented from Hilton has previously backed parents trying to toughen the law on restraint and seclusion in Northern Ireland's businesswoman has said she was placed in solitary confinement when at boarding school in the US as a teenager.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
British teenagers among world's unhappiest
British teenagers are among the most dissatisfied in the world, according to a global report. The UK ranks near the bottom of a league table for child wellbeing and teenage happiness, the Unicef study revealed. The research compared scores across a range of metrics between 2018 and 2022 and found children across the globe were now more likely to underperform at school, be obese and feel unhappy than they were several years ago. When compared with other high-income countries, the UK ranked joint second-last when it came to the percentage of teenagers reporting high life satisfaction, falling from 64 per cent to 62 per cent. Girls were also much more likely than boys to be dissatisfied, the researchers found. The UK was level with Chile and it was only in Turkey where unhappiness with life was higher. The UK also ranked 21st out of 36 for child wellbeing, while countries such as France, Spain and Portugal rank near the top. Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary also rank above the UK, while the Netherlands and Finland retain their position as the top two places to be a child. Elsewhere, the UK was in the bottom third of countries on child mental health, placing 27th out of 36. The report found that the frequency that children talked to their parents had a strong positive link with satisfaction, while the frequency of being bullied had a major negative effect. Researchers said rates of frequent bullying 'remain high' in the UK, which had the third highest rates of bullying among high income countries. Some 27 per cent of 15-year-olds experienced frequent bullying in both 2018 and 2022. The UK youth suicide rate has also increased, rising from a three-year average of four per 100,000 teenagers aged 15 to 19 in 2018 to 5.12 in 2022. The UK was mid-table on physical health and social skills and academic proficiency, ranking 22nd and 15th out of 41, respectively. Furthermore, more than 30 per cent of British children were overweight in 2022, above the rich-country average of 28 per cent. And toddlers were more likely than anywhere else to get the majority of their calories from ultra-processed food. Between the ages of two and five, the average UK toddler gets 61 per cent of their calories from ultra-processed food, the report said, much higher than children in other countries, including the US. There is also a higher proportion of sugar in infant food pouches in the UK than other countries, and 'persistent marketing' of unnecessary toddler/growing-up milks, which are high in sugars. Overall, the Unicef 'report card' found that children in many of the world's wealthiest countries have seen a decline in their mental wellbeing, physical health and academic performance between 2018 and 2022, which also coincided with the Covid pandemic. Dr Philip Goodwin, chief executive of the United Kingdom Committee for Unicef, said the report provided a 'deeply concerning insight into just how much UK children are struggling'. 'Our teenagers are reporting some of the lowest life satisfaction levels, which must be a wake-up call for the Government. However, action to tackle these issues is not coming fast enough,' he said. 'The UK Government's comprehensive spending review next month must show it is serious about improving the lives of children by addressing the record numbers living in poverty and investing in essential health and education services to support children right from the very start of their lives.' Unicef warned of a 'polycrisis' facing children across the globe, such as the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic, climate change and developments in digital technology. Researchers concluded that, in many wealthy countries, children are 'becoming less happy with their lives, more likely to be overweight and obese, and are not doing well at school'. Multiple health issues The Unicef 'report card' specifically examined teen life satisfaction aged 15 and adolescent suicide between the ages of 15 and 19. On skills, it looked at academic proficiency and social skills, both at 15 years. It comes after a report into the state of health across Europe by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed children in England were more likely to complain of multiple illnesses than almost all other countries, while also suffering from the worst outlook on life. Almost two-thirds of 11-year-old English girls report having multiple health issues at least twice a week – more than any other country on the Continent. This rises to 71 per cent by the age of 13 and 77 per cent by age 15, when it is only more common to have multiple ailments in Italy and Greece. At the same time, English girls had the worst mental wellbeing of the 44 countries assessed across all three ages. A Government spokesman said: 'This Government is investing an extra £680 million in mental health services this year, to help recruit 8,500 more mental health workers and put mental health support in every school. 'We are also tackling obesity head on by blocking new fast-food outlets near schools and cracking down on junk food adverts on TV and online to protect young children. 'We are developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and driving up standards in schools through our new regional improvement teams.'
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Children's voices must be heard in assisted dying Bill debate, says commissioner
The Children's Commissioner has called for under-18s to have their views considered on assisted dying, branding it 'deeply concerning' they have not been consulted about the proposed new law going through Parliament. Dame Rachel de Souza said the topic is 'one of the most profound moral and philosophical debates of a generation' and said its implications for children in later life are 'undeniable'. Only people aged 18 and older would be eligible for an assisted death under the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill if it became law. It would allow only terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death – subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. But Dame Rachel said children's views should be heard, saying it must be considered whether, for some young people with additional needs, a change in the law could result in 'a belief in a child that their life somehow has less value than others because of their condition'. Publishing a 10-page report on Wednesday on children's views on assisted dying, she said it was 'deeply concerning to me whenever legislation that affects children's lives passes through Parliament without taking their views and opinions into consideration.' The commissioner added: 'Such is the case for the Assisted Dying Bill. 'The Bill currently before Parliament seeks to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults or adults living with life-limiting conditions. 'Though the proposed legislation applies only to those over the age of 18, its implications for children — especially those nearing legal adulthood — are undeniable.' Dame Rachel acknowledged that the views of the children her office had spoken to do not speak for every child and are 'nuanced and diverse'. But she added: 'Their deep consensus was that whatever their view, they must be engaged in this debate, one of the most profound moral and philosophical debates of a generation. 'I absolutely agree. It is essential to listen, to reflect, and to ensure that policy and law-making does not overlook the perspective of those they will one day impact. 'Whether or not a child would, on turning 18, become within scope of the Assisted Dying Bill's proposals, whether it would allow a family member to end their own life and leave them without adequate support in their grief, or whether it fosters a belief in a child that their life somehow has less value than others because of their condition – all their voices deserve to be heard as part of this conversation.' The commissioner said she has written to Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, to share her report. Among those quoted, anonymously, were a 15-year-old girl who said the 'government gives no social care to people like me and then gives me an option to choose to die if I feel I can no longer live', and a 16-year-old who questioned whether a law might end up 'removing people from society that people don't want in society?'. But another 16-year-old girl said a law could 'relieve pain, suffering' for 'those who are very ill, very sick' and a boy of the same age said 'there might be people who (this is helpful for)' if someone has 'not much quality of life'. The Bill is due to return to the House of Commons for further debate on May 16.
