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Sep 2003 Towards a National Agenda for Early Childhood - A Response from Early Childhood Australia |
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Early Childhood Australia suggests that a further reason for the development of a national agenda for children arises from the recognition of children as citizens.
As citizens children have a value as human beings in the here and now, not simply for what they might become. As citizens, they have an entitlement, independent of their parent's capacity to pay and shared by all other citizens, to the resources, that is policies, programs and funds necessary to ensure:
- Their well being in the here and now experience of childhood,
- Their increasing capacity to participate as full and responsible citizens in the social, economic and political life of the society and
- That they can and will exercise their responsibility as adults for future generations of children.
The justification for a national agenda for children arising from their status as citizens suggests an approach to an agenda the gives precedence to a commitment to the value based goal of social inclusion. Citizenship like social inclusion means that all children and adults are able to participate as valued respected and contributing members of society. Social inclusion is not simply the flip side of social exclusion.
ECA response to the National Agenda for Children full text
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 August 2005 )
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