Page 1 - Final Lesson-3.pmd

Needs and Rights of Children

Notes
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NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF

CHILDREN

India has made significant commitments towards ensuring the basic rights of
children. These are the right to survival, right to protection, right to development
and right to participation. Presently, infant mortality rate is down, child survival
rate is up, literacy rate has improved, and school dropout rate has fallen. Despite
these achievements, there are gaps in terms of unmet needs due to which

children feel neglected and vulnerable. They do not feel safe, protected and free.
One reason may be that children and even adults are not aware of the needs
and rights of children due to which they are not able to realize their strength
and right approach to deal with vulnerability around them. There is a lot to know
about child rights and government initiatives in this regard. Let us read about
the needs of children and government initiatives towards children’s rights.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this lesson, you will be able to:

• describe the psychological, social, health and educational needs of children;

• describe how unmet needs impact the development of children;

• discuss the rights of children;

• describe the rights of children as per the United Nations Convention on
theRights of the Child (UNCRC); and

• discuss rights of the girl child and CWSN.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 31