THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
OPEN CAMPUS
Programme: B.Ed. in Early Childhood Development and Family Studies
Course Title: Child Rights and Protection Issues
Course Code: ECFS1008
Credits: 3
Level: 1
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
ECFS 1008 Child Rights and Protection Issues provides in-depth understanding of child rights in terms of relevant legislative and policy frameworks, and best practice for practitioners working in early childhood development and family services in the Caribbean for protecting young children, providing for young children, and facilitating the participation of young children. This includes knowledge of child rights, statutory and ethical responsibilities of professionals and organisations working with young children and their families, rights violations (child abuse and neglect), rights compliant practice, and effective advocacy. The course examines the causes for and effects of children’s rights and helps to strengthen students, ability to serve the best interests of children. Caribbean early childhood development and parenting support practice issues, current events and relevant research will be integrated throughout the course. This course provides foundation learning for second and third year courses and a point of reference for practicum performance. Course activities are designed to enhance student’s digital literacy.
The course aims to equip students with the knowledge, attitude and skills to uphold child rights and to inform young children and their families about child rights. Instruction is focused on teaching about child rights and teaching for child rights. The overall aim is to educate and train students to become child rights facilitators who help to empower children, including the most marginalized child, so that children will develop to their full potential, acquiring knowledge and skills to take control of their own lives and make responsible decisions so that they grow to be well adjusted, respectful, and productive citizens.
The evolving state of child rights theory, law, policy, research, education and social practices form the basis for the Course. The course goals translate into knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural objectives and outline the explicit purpose of the exposure afforded by the Course. They are to:
·
Increase students’ awareness and understanding of:
1.
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), i.e. its provisions, principles, and implications;
2.
relevant international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR);
3.
regional policy and initiatives;
4.
national laws, policy, regulations, standards, and current initiatives
·
Increase students’ understanding of the implementation of child rights in early childhood, with emphasis on supporting each child’s evolving capacities
·
Equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify and treat with violations of children’s rights, specifically to prevent, reduce and report child abuse and neglect
·
Provide students with the necessary knowledge, techniques and tools to approach each child as a rights-holder; to facilitate developmentally appropriate child participation, and to inform and guide other duty-bearers, particularly parents and practitioners to respect child rights
·
Provide students with the opportunities for the exchange of best (rights-based) practices and the building of multi-sectored strategic alliances
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Equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to relate course learning to all other areas of study in the Programme, including digital literacy.
Course Objectives
On completion of the course, learners will be able to:
1. Affective/ Attitude
•
Respect and value each and every child as a rights-holder
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Recognise the rights of all children
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Apply rights based principles to practice with young children and their families
•
Recognize inappropriate (rights violating) personal and cultural values and behaviours, such as discriminatory practice or corporal punishment, and prevent perpetuation within early childhood settings
•
Understand and accept the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) provisions and principles, relevant international human rights instruments and national laws, regulations, standards and current initiatives, as well as policy development and budgeting processes.
•
Commit to facilitate developmentally appropriate child participation
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Adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to serving each child’s best interests.
2. Cognitive/Knowledge
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State child rights principles and categories; and describe how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child supports early childhood development.
•
Outline relevant international and national instruments, regional and local policies, regulations and standards.
•
Identify different forms of rights violations, including child abuse and neglect, and respond appropriately and demonstrate effective interventions.
•
Assess a child’s development in terms of the child’s evolving capacities
•
Explain techniques used to implement child rights based approaches to children and children’s issues.
3. Psychomotor/Skills
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Implement child rights-based approaches in early childhood settings
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Facilitate the development of each child’s evolving capacities
•
Inform and guide duty bearers, particularly parents and practitioners, to respect child rights
•
Demonstrate effective, positive behaviour management alternatives to corporal punishment
•
Identify and report suspected cases of child abuse.
