Today is Universal Children’s Day and PPTA Te Wehengarua is urging the Government to do all it can to uphold every child’s right to access education.

Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president, said teachers’ thoughts today were with all children in war zones, particularly , particularly in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan.. “Every day children are tragically losing their lives because they happen to be born in a war zone, and everyday hundreds of thousands of children are being denied access to education because of war.

“Under international humanitarian law, direct physical attacks and the closure of schools as a result of direct threats constitute grave violations against children in armed conflict. We note that in the United Nations’ Secretary General’s 2024 annual report on children in armed conflict the following:

‘While non-State armed groups were responsible for almost 50 per cent of grave violations, government forces were the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.’

‘Such attacks deprive children of their right to education and health care, have a detrimental impact on children’s psychological well-being, disrupt the fundamental premise of these institutions as zones of learning and safety, and expose them to heightened risks of other grave violations, such as an increased number of girls being subject to abduction and sexual violence.”

Chris Abercrombie said the Aotearoa New Zealand Government could make a world of difference to the many young people around the world who are denied access to a consistent, quality education.

“Children are our future and have the right to access education wherever they live. We must do everything we can to uphold this fundamental human right.”

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