Get the basics right, say children

Get the basics right is the primary message from children in Turkey as the world marks the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Several elementary school children and high school students responded to the anniversary of the convention with comments on matters such as equal distribution of food and water for all children in the world, the right to play, clean air, the right to have an identity, the right to freedom or being a good listener.

Children have the right to drink clean water and the responsibility to watch their own actions, said third-graders Jens and Sarp while they were studying the unit of “Rights and Responsibilities” at an Istanbul elementary school.

Other third graders from Istanbul International Community College, or IICS, Julia, Marta and Chloe said children have the right to freedom and the responsibility to listen to other people. They also said it was important to be a good listener to others.

An eighth grader from Tarsus SEV Elementary School in Mersin, Bade Turgut, said: “Children want a better life. They need protection and someone to protect them.” Classmate Alara Altuntaş said: “All children must have same rights. They are not different. They are children like us. They must go to school. They must not marry at age 10.”

Turkish teenagers at TEV İnanç High School, or TEVİTÖL, in Gebze, Kocaeli, west of Istanbul, consider themselves lucky. They said they were lucky not to have to think about these rights every day, as they don’t have to fight for them on a daily basis. The teenagers said they enjoy health care, food, education and a supportive environment, in addition to the freedom to ask questions and criticize their own situation. The students said in realizing their fortune, they were sad and frustrated that all children around the world do not have the same opportunities as they do.

“A child without love is the same as a river without a source,” said Neşe Ümit, a ninth grader at TEVİTÖL. She appreciates UNICEF’s focus on the more abstract necessities of childhood. The focus on love, support and the right to “play and recreation” are just as important as food and shelter. However, Ahmet Kayagil, disagrees, arguing that “we must be realistic if we want these rights to be taken seriously. To provide love to every child in today’s world is unfortunately impossible. It’s more important that children have access to health care than love.”

“Without education, children won’t be able to become contributive adults in society,” said Merve Mert. “If children don’t have the right to speak, a country can never improve. Their creativity and investment in the future are essential for creating new ideas,” added Melisa Tokmak.

Tilbe Hakçıl said, “Adults should take children seriously because sometimes children’s ideas are better than adults’.”

Batuhan Özgen added, “The continuity of a country depends on the degree to which children grow up to be educated.”

Although they believe they have many rights here, as children in Turkey, there are some gaps in the practice of these rights. “Every child should have the right to draw his or her own path; he or she should be able to choose or discover his or her own religion or sexual orientation. They should be themselves, not the people around them,” said Kaan Salçın.

However, Hakan Çelik said children may not have the experience or maturity necessary to make an informed choice. Both Hakan and Kaan agree that children should have the freedom and time to learn for themselves, and that parents play an important role in that process.

“To increase the opportunities of children, we should decrease the power that parents have over their children,” said Ayşegül Yamak, a ninth-grade student at TEVİTÖL. She cites rights in Canada where children legally have the opportunity to challenge their parents’ authority. She believes that parents should expose their children to a variety of ideas.

Pınar Demetçi: “Children will grow up to lead the world. We are educating our future world leaders now.”

Kaan Uğurlu: “The end of poverty is important so we can create equality for children.”

*** Jennifer Eaton Gökmen, development officer, Istanbul International Community School; Joanna Mathison, grade 3 teacher at IICS’ Hisar Campus; Ian Penrose, grade 3 teacher at IICS’ Marmara Campus; Dilem Deniz, public relations officer at Tarsus American College in Mersin; Patrick Bredehoft, head of foreign languages, TEV İnanç Türkeş Lisesi, Gebze, Kocaeli; and Nancy Aitcheson, English teacher at TEV İnanç Türkeş Lisesi contributed to this report.