It’s always a pleasure to learn that the best interest of children is on top of the government agenda.

As future Maltese citizens, it is our duty to see that our children enjoy the best possible environment for them to grow up as future responsible adults.

Unfortunately for us parents, this is very difficult to achieve, because of our makeshift legislature which no one seems bothered to change.

A point in case is the Commissioner for Children Act, enacted in December 2003, where “child” means any person who has “not attained majority”.

Another example, which is not in conformity with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, is the law which accepts that hundreds of Maltese children be registered with a father unknown birth certificate. Every child has a right to know who fathered him/her.

If we pass on to the education sector; there are a number of principles which are not in place and which are harming our children. For example, we continue to employ untrained people to work with children, especially during the summer months.

A decent sex education (PSD) programme is not obligatory in each and every school for our children to be better prepared for today’s scenario. And, we have hundreds of toddlers (three to four years old) being taught by persons who, in most cases, can be described “grand-parents’”. This to name but a few aspects which are incongruent with a modern education system which strives to achieve the best for its students.

Other aspects which concern children in the first instance include education on emotional and mental abuse; bullying by parents, and the lack of an action plan where no child can feel discriminated because of their family/lack of family set-up. This is especially true of children still living in Church institutions.

So, here’s hoping that your efforts will mean a change in legislature to attain better rights and legislature for Maltese children.

Miriam Cassar

Grupp Favur id-Drittijiet

tat-Tfal

Zejtun