New Zealand joins other countries in defending children’s rights to play and education
Advocating for the rights of the young child in terms of both education and wellbeing is the focus for OMEP Aotearoa
both nationally and internationally. This month two members represented New Zealand at the OMEP World Assembly and
Congress in Goteborg, Sweden. All delegates, representing seventy-two countries and five continents made a commitment to
defend the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially the right of children to play while at the same time
ensuring their wellbeing, in all countries and in all educational programmes. NZ has been a signatory to the Convention
since 1993, and the focus on children’s right to play will be the focus of our AGM in November in Wellington this year.
Today, most governments are reacting to political, economic and financial problems with an over-emphasis on the swift
development of literacy and numeracy skills for youngchildren in readiness for when they start school. This results in
dramatically restricting the holistic approach to early childhood education through teacher-supported play which is
proven, through research, to support lifelong achievement.
We now know that the United Nations Millennium Development Goals on reducing poverty and giving all children the right
to education will not be met. Thus, the OMEP World Congress and Assembly implores all governments at the local and
national levels to re-orient their plans and allocate resources so that the goals will be met. As a world leader in
early childhood education curriculum, the NZ Government must protect the continuance of high quality inclusive
programmes led by fully qualified early childhood teacher teams to ensure participation by all families of all cultures.
Doreen Launder of Wellington is OMEP International’s Vice resident of the Asia Pacific region which includes China,
Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, India, Australia and New Zealand.. On her way back from the World
Meeting Doreen is travelling to Nepal where she will be trekking to two preschools, in two villages, Ghunsa and Foley,
each located in the foothills of Mount Kangchenjunga, in the north-eastern corner of Nepal (Kangchenjungaproject.org)
She is taking ECE material and will give advice and guidance to the parent teachers. Through small projects such as this
OMEP Aotearoa has successfully supported member Asia- Pacific countries who face significant challenges in quality early
childhood education provision.
ENDS