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The UNCRC and the right to early childhood education

The UNCRC (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) is a legally-binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. Under the terms of the UNCRC, governments are required to acknowledge that every child has basic fundamental rights which are outlined in 54 articles. One of the fundamental rights of the UNCRC is that every child has a right to an education that enables them to fulfil their potential and Article 28 of the UNCRC addresses this in more detail.

Primary education should be compulsory and free. Different forms of secondary education should be available to every child. School discipline should respect children’s dignity and rights. Richer countries should support poorer countries in this.

Article 28, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 2023

Below, we provide information on our initiatives and programs that align with this right, in particular, early childhood education and the current issues in early childhood education in Australia that we are helping to address. 

Save the Children believes every child deserves a bright future and for over 100 years we have been championing children’s rights. We focus on putting children first and providing life-saving aid to children & their families when disaster strikes. In 1923, our founder Eglantyne Jebb wrote the UNCRC and our vision and the work we do reflects this. Here are the benefits of early childhood education that demonstrate why it is so important and the work we are doing to address current issues in early childhood education in Australia.

Why is early childhood education important? 

The early years of a child's life are a period of rapid brain development and emotional and social growth. Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in this phase, laying the groundwork for a child's future academic, emotional, and social success. 

We run evidence-based programs and initiatives in Australia as well as internationally that focus on ensuring children have access to quality education. We are continually producing evaluation reports to assess our program outcomes, this enables us to be informed about the work we do, and its effectiveness, and through this continual evaluation and monitoring, we can see the positive impact and benefits that early childhood education can have on a child’s life - especially long term. 

Addressing current issues in early childhood education in Australia

One of the significant current issues facing young students in Australia is accessibility. Many children, particularly those living in remote communities, lack access to the education and services they need to thrive. To address this, we run programs across Australia including remote areas, with a mission to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn and play in a safe and welcoming environment to learn and play. 

Another pressing issue is the need for children to have a voice and the opportunity to participate in creating a better future for them and generations to come. We also recognise the importance of cultural identity in early childhood education. Both of these aspects are taken into consideration in our approach and the programs we deliver. We create initiatives that give children a platform to be heard and actively be a part of initiatives that impact their future. We also ensure our programs are culturally appropriate and employ or engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wherever possible to deliver services and programs to communities.

Our impact: success stories and current initiatives

Our efforts have led to several successful projects that directly address these current issues in early childhood education in Australia. These include:

Each of these initiatives has made and is continuing to make a tangible difference in the lives of children, demonstrating the transformative power of education.

Donate to help ensure all children have access to education

To support us in our mission to ensure the fundamental rights of children are being recognised and education including early childhood education is made accessible, you can make a single donation today or become a monthly giver. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. 

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