Reaction on strike of SONKThe first children’s Embassy in the world Megashi asks SONK and the Ministry of Education and Science of R. Macedonia (MES) to respect the Convention for the rights of the children (CRC) signed and ratified in R.Macedonia where it clearly defined that in all activities regarding the children, the best interests of the child are priority (Article 3, from CRC).
The First Children’s Embassy in the world “Megashi” does not neglect the right on strike of the educational workers, that is also guaranteed right of the citizens of R.Macedonia, but they should not be conducted on a way that harms the children.
We appeal to MES and SONK, and ask them to give clear instructions to parents and children. If there is a strike children should be informed; similarly if the doors of the school are closed the children and the parents should be informed- that they will be taken care of. In other words they should be provided with information that there won’t be lectures, but the children will be taken care of in the schools. They turn to the First children’s Embassy in the world saying that they do not know where they are sending their children; some of them are walking with kilometers to find closed doors. Some of the children go home frozen. Another seat in classrooms without heating. There are many calls from parents who do not know where their children are, since they do not have mobile phone. And some families do not have phone at home. Parents are complaining that they have expenses of sending the children to school when there is no lecture and they will have the same expenses when there will be lectures. Not all parents can keep their children home, since they have to go to work. Consequently, some of them are forced to take seek leave to take care of their children, or to beg their relatives or neighbors for help.
The risks of not allowing the children to enter the schools are: wandering, walking down the streets, roads, distant places-rural environments, subjectivity to diverse negative influences (taking alcohol, drugs, nicotin, participation, quarrels, and traffic safety.)
Who will take the responsibility of all this negative consequences?
How, when, and with what hardships the children will have to realize the missed contences from the educational program (working Saturdays? Prolonged school year?)
CPC article 19, paragraph 1 says:
“Member states shall take all appropriate lawful, administrative, social and educational measurements for protection of the child from all kinds of physical and psychological violence, injuries, or abuses, neglects, or careless relation, maltreating, or exploitations , including sexual abuse, while the child is under care of parents, law guardians or any other person in charged of the child”
Or
Article 19 paragraph 2: “Such protection measurements, should comprise effective procedures for establishing social programs for securing and support, necessary for the child, as well as to those who are in charge of the child; and other forms of deterrence, establishing, reporting, following, research, conducting and following of the cases of here mentioned maltreating of the child; and if necessary ,reporting to the court.”
We appellate to SONK and MES to give precise instructions to the children and parents about the duration of the strike, whether it is same for all schools, and when will the missed lectures be held?
Translated by Biljana Stefanovska
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