Actors from the field of protection of children’s rights ascertained that the minors who spend time on the streets have their rights to education of a high quality violated by some of the teachers. These children lag behind in assimilating the school subjects, do not have the necessary school supplies at lessons and come from socially deprived families. Some of the teachers label or ignore them, shows a thematic report entitled “Observance of the rights of children who live on the streets”, which was presented in a news conference hosted by IPN.
According to report author Tatiana Mărgărint, independent expert, the children who come from placement centers usually do not feel comfortable at school. “The school is an aggressive environment for children in situations of risk. It is an environment in which some of the teachers and some of children have a violent behavior. In the absence of supervision, this violence gets out of control. When grownups encourage discriminatory behaviors towards poor children and children with poor academic standing, it is hard to intervene. The children go to live on the streets not only because the parents are alcoholics or negligent, but also because the school is not a friendly environment that would motivate them to learn,” the independent expert said, reading the report.
Tatiana Mărgărint noted that the right to private and family life is the most often violated right of children. The report shows the parents whose children live on the streets do not offer an environment that enables them to develop physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially in a harmonious way and protection against any forms of violence and negligence. The duty of the state, if the parents do not fulfill their obligations in the interests of the child, is to protect the children and to contribute to the observance of their rights.
The independent expert said that the constant abandonment of domicile by children is a consequence of the weak intersectorial cooperation at the local level. There is also the high level of tolerance by society of cases of violence against and negligence of children. Insufficient measures are taken to prevent repeated cases of home leaving. The experience of living on the street is harsh. To have a source of livelihood, the street children beg and steal. Such children become drug users or distributors.
Maia Bănărescu, ombudswoman for children’s rights, noted the absence of efficient mechanisms that would meet the needs of these children. The authorities are encouraged to early identify families with children with an increased risk of parental failure and to prevent abandonment. Such families need support from the authorities, including financial one. It is also recommended improving cooperation in the community between police officers, doctors, teachers, social workers and specialists in children’s rights.
The specialist in children’s rights is a shortcoming of the state. “We do not have that senior specialist that should work in each community, alongside the children, to defend the interests of children and that would be financed with state budget funds and would not be left in the responsibility of the local public authorities that often invoke the shortage of funds,” stated Maia Bănărescu.
Note: IPN News Agency gives the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
