It has been 16 years since this government has signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and still we have no definition of “child” in our legislature. Laws that safeguard children’s welfare and best interest are not a priority, therefore the Maltese family lacks the support needed to raise morally good children.

When this government enacted the role of the Commissioner for Children in 2004, children were described “as those persons who have not reached maturity”. The government is obliged to amend the law to read that children are those persons who have not reached 18 years of age.

Then we have the Adoption Act which needs a thorough overhaul after more than 40 years of not being touched. Although much publicity is given to Fostering, this is not the solution to the hundreds of children living in care (about 300), who need a safe and stable family life; and who are mostly fathered by irresponsible parents.

In fact, the court upholds the right of the natural parents to see their children even after many years of neglect. And, in the majority of cases, the court does not seek to see if the child/children wants to start having these visits from their natural parents. This goes against the right of the child to express his/her views and wishes.

Another issue of great concern to many parents is our stressful education system. From the legislative point of view, as part of the European Union, where Maltese is considered as a language of the EU, Maltese children have the right to have their text-books in both Maltese and English – our official languages.

In each and every country of the EU, students study their school subjects according to their language and it is only in Malta that our children are forced to study school subjects in English only.

Last but not least, a clear legislature needs to be enacted with regard to children and leisure. In Malta, it is very easy for our children to get hooked on alcohol, since they can easily buy it and drink it on the pavement in, or outside, most entertainment places meant for adults.

Leisure for children should be safe and not open to physical and sexual abuse. And a safe and healthy environment means that children can have a good time with their peers, without alcohol and without adults.

All countries in the EU safeguard their children’s best interest. So how come it is near to impossible to enact these much needed laws in the best interest of the Maltese child?

Miriam Cassar

Zejtun