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Part I of an In-depth Look at Article 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

This week, we continue our series on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by considering Article 13, which states that “the child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.”

The crux of this article is the child’s “right to information.” Children access information through what they are taught and what they discover on their own. This week, we will consider the Convention’s implications on what children are taught.
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Here is a good overview with background and details on the California case. It is written by Chris Banescu and published on the Acton Institute’s website. Here is an excerpt:

The totalitarian impulses of the court were further evidenced by the arguments it used to justify its decision: “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare.” As someone who has lived and suffered under a communist regime (I grew up in Romania), the “good citizenship,” “patriotism,” and “loyalty to the state” justifications have struck a little too close to home. These were precisely the kinds of arguments the communist party used to broaden the power of the state, increase the leadership’s iron grip on the people, and justify just about every conceivable violation of human rights, restrictions on individual liberties, and abuses perpetrated by government officials.

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From the Capitol Resource Institute (and California!):

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in 2006 that the abortifacient drug “Plan B” was approved for over-the-counter use by women aged 18 years and older, CRI immediately criticized this action. One obvious negative point is that minors can easily sidestep the age requirement by having an older friend buy the drug for them.

But the reality is even worse than imagined. CRI was shocked and dismayed to discover through recent staff research that not only are minors able to access the drugs through older friends buying it for them, but it appears that on-campus health clinics are handing them out. And because many schools do not require parental notification when it comes to minors’ “confidential medical services,” parents are likely never notified that their young children are taking these dangerous, abortion-inducing drugs.

Our research revealed that, despite the FDA regulations requiring girls under 18 to obtain a prescription for “Plan B,” nearly 60 percent of California’s school-based health centers (SBHCs) provide emergency contraception to middle and high school students.

Each of California’s 64 SBHCs were contacted by CRI staff and we were able to speak directly with 41 of these clinics (a 64 percent response rate).

“It is an outrage that young girls are being helped by school clinics to sidestep FDA regulations that exist for their safety and protection,” Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute. “This is an example of how so-called women’s health advocates are not so much interested in women’s health as they are interested in unfettered access to abortion.”

But don’t worry, I’m sure the clinics have the child’s “best interest” in mind when they give out drugs without parental knowledge or consent. Of course there would never be a real need for parents to be involved here when we know that the government really knows what’s best for kids.

Check out other topics related to health issues and the child-parent relationship from our blog.

You can read his column here on the recent California decision.

My favorite part of his column:

As our Founding Fathers swore to uphold these, so must we. Thomas Jefferson committed, “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” I know others would join me in rightly assuming that in our day “every” form of tyranny could also include publicly forced educational indoctrination. Friends, while you keep one eye on our national borders, you might keep the other on your state’s. If academic corruption is easily conceived in California, how long will it take to crawl to your state line?

 

My warning to such creeping companies of corruption is this: Best not to test Texas. If you thought we fought hard for the Alamo, wait until you see what we can do for academia. You can hide your sleaze behind No. 2 pencils, but our branding irons will find your tail sides.

Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to speak with Dr. James Dobson about the threat that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child poses to parental rights, particularly the right of parents to direct the education of their children. In retrospect, these warnings almost appear to have been prophetic. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article by ParentalRights.org board member Michael Smith originally appeared in the Washington Times on January 14, 2008. It can be read at the Washington Times website here.

All good parents are committed to seeking the best for their children, and in the crucial days of the presidential nominating process, many of us are turning our eyes to the years ahead.

What will the future look like for our children?

Though candidates and voters may have different perspectives on the specifics of achieving a positive future, one thing remains certain: Children need their parents.

The overwhelming majority know that parental involvement in the lives of children makes a key difference when it comes to their healthy development, education and positive life choices. In particular, home-school families know firsthand the impact of strong parental involvement in the lives of children.

Few dispute the vital role of parents in raising the next generation, but, regrettably, few recognize that the fundamental role of parents is under direct attack. Read the rest of this entry »

ParentalRights.org was recently quoted in this news article, with excerpts below. 

Judge Boots Parents from Son’s Schooling

Another judge in Massachusetts has ruled against parental input regarding the education of their own children, this time deciding that a district’s special education program for a 13-year-old can move forward even though his parents refused to sign an authorization for the additional monitoring and counseling…

Officials at Parental Rights (www.ParentalRights.org) said they couldn’t comment on the specific case without seeing more information about the judge’s order, which was issued verbally and not in writing. But they said in general, the system should not push parents away.

“Parents know their children better than anyone and if the state refuses to partner with parents in public schools then we’ve got a serious problem,” a spokesman said.

Middle-school Policy Threatens Parental Rights

King Middle School in Portland, Maine, has been making headlines as a proposal to give students access to birth control continues to move forward. The school would be the first in Maine to make a full range of contraceptive prescriptions available to students in grades 6 to 8, most of whom are between the ages of 11 and 13.

The policy, which was passed by the Portland School Committee on October 17th by a vote of 7-2, requires students to have parental permission to go to the school clinic. But once they are there, the children may receive confidential care, with no parental consent required–for anything. After conducting a physical examination, a school physician or nurse may prescribe contraceptives, including contraceptive pills, patches or injections, and the morning-after pill.

Proponents of the policy claim that schools need to address the reality that some teens are sexually active and need access to birth control. Opponents have contended that providing contraception for 14-year-olds is promoting risky behavior, and that the policy will promote excessive medicating of young people, while violating the rights of parents. Read the rest of this entry »

Teaching Children about Homosexuality is in their “Best Interests”?

According to a press release by Amnesty International, the Lithuanian parliament is currently considering legislation that would ban the “propagation of homosexuality” to children in schools.

According to the authors of the amendment, “the propagation of a non-traditional sexual orientation and exposure to information containing positive coverage of homosexual relations may therefore cause negative consequences for the physical, mental and, first and foremost, moral development of minors.” Amnesty International, however, fears that the legislation infringes the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.

BRITAIN, LITHUANIA, AND THE “BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD”

The statute before the Lithuanian parliament is similar to an amendment that was passed by the United Kingdom in 1988, but was subsequently repealed in 2003 after the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child opined that the rule was contrary to the best interests of British children.

According to Amnesty International, Lithuania has a legal obligation to act “in the best interests of the child,” which includes “respecting the child’s right to be free from discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

SCHOOLS, HOMOSEXUALITY, AND PARENTAL RIGHTS

Unfortunately, the issue of teaching homosexuality in schools is not confined to outside the borders of the United States.

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