From human rights to the right to inclusive education

Abstract

The adoption by acclamation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations General Assembly was the most important milestone in the history of child protection. It is therefore essential that all actors, at the political and civil society, who somehow interfere, directly or indirectly, in the lives of children, do everything possible to ensure that these rights are guaranteed. The children themselves should know them so that they can understand when they are, or are not, being respected and to have an active role in denouncing situations of violation of these rights. This study aimed to analyse the perception of forty-two students from a private school, regarding the fulfilment of their rights and also to understand the differences in perception that exist, according to gender. As an instrument, a previously validated questionnaire was applied, whose questions were organized for analysis into three categories of rights: participation, provision and protection. The results indicate that there is still a long way to go. It is concluded that many children's rights continue to be violated by not having, for example, access to health, nutrition and adequate education or protection from violence.