Evolving capacities

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Evolving capacities is the concept in which education, child development and youth development programs led by adults take into account the capacities of the child or youth to exercise rights on their own behalf. It is also directly linked to the right to be heard, requiring adults to be mindful of their responsibilities to respect children's rights, protect them from harm, and provide opportunities so they can exercise their rights. [1] The concept of evolving capacities is employed internationally as a direct alternative to popular concepts of child and youth development. [2]

Education Learning in which knowledge and skills is transferred through teaching

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, however learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Child development biological, psychological and emotional changes in humans from birth to the end of adolescence

Child development entails the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence, as the individual progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy. It is a continuous process with a predictable sequence, yet having a unique course for every child. It does not progress at the same rate and each stage is affected by the preceding developmental experiences. Because these developmental changes may be strongly influenced by genetic factors and events during prenatal life, genetics and prenatal development are usually included as part of the study of child development. Related terms include developmental psychology, referring to development throughout the lifespan, and pediatrics, the branch of medicine relating to the care of children. Developmental change may occur as a result of genetically-controlled processes known as maturation, or as a result of environmental factors and learning, but most commonly involves an interaction between the two. It may also occur as a result of human nature and our ability to learn from our environment.

Youth time of life when one is young

Youth is the time of life when one is young, and often means the time between childhood and adulthood (maturity). It is also defined as "the appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit, etc., characteristic of one who is young". Its definitions of a specific age range varies, as youth is not defined chronologically as a stage that can be tied to specific age ranges; nor can its end point be linked to specific activities, such as taking unpaid work or having sexual relations.

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About

The concept of evolving capacities of the child first emerged in international law through the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It stems from the recognition that childhood is not a single, fixed, universal experience and that their lives require different degrees of protection, provision, prevention, and participation at different stages of their lives. [3]

Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty about the rights of children

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under national legislation.

The notion of evolving capacities is reflected in Article Five of the Convention, which says that:

Article twelve also addresses evolving capacities, stating that:

Evolving capacities recognizes that as children acquire enhanced competencies there is less need for protection and a greater possibility that they can take responsibility for decisions affecting their lives. It is presupposed by the gradualist conception of children's rights, which suggests that children move progressively from a situation in which their rights primarily protect their interests to one in which their rights primarily protect their choices. [4] The Convention allows for the recognition that children in different environments and cultures, and faced with diverse life experiences, will acquire competencies at different ages. This is the reason why the Committee on the Rights of the Child has sought information on minimum legal ages for legal and medical counseling or medical treatment without parental consent, creating and joining associations, and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings when it developed the guidelines relating to Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. [1]

Gradualism, from the Latin gradus ("step"), is a hypothesis, a theory or a tenet assuming that change comes about gradually or that variation is gradual in nature and happens over time as opposed to in large steps. Uniformitarianism, incrementalism, and reformism are similar concepts.

Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a body of experts that monitor and report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Canadian International Development Agency reports that there are three primary points to consider regarding evolving capacities:

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a federal Canadian organization that administered foreign aid programs in developing countries. The agency was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the federal government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

  1. Evolving capacities should be understood in the context of where children grow;
  2. Evolving capacities should grow out of respect for the competencies young people already have, and;
  3. Adults should protect young people from experiences and decisions they have not yet acquired the capacity to take responsibility for. [5]

Adequate and systematic documentation is an example of initiatives that integrate the concept of evolving capacities in education. The strategy can support teacher determine how learners' capacities evolve over time and develop necessary interventions and responses to meaningfully address individual children's right to development. [6]

Evolving capacities can be understood in two different ways. The first is that it is a limitation of the rights exercised by children while the second interprets it as a stimulant for the recognition of the special capacities of children and their promotion. [7] As an interpretative principle, evolving capacities operates to ensure that other provisions in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are interpreted in a way that recognizes and fosters respect for the evolving capacities of the child. [8] This is demonstrated in the way the Committee on the Rights of the Child drew an interpretative link between article 5 and article 29(1), connecting a child's education with his or her dignity and rights. [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Lansdown, Gerison (2005). The Evolving Capacities of the Child . New York: UNICEF. p. 6. ISBN   8889129158.
  2. ↑ Lansdown, G. (2005) Understanding the implications of human rights treaty: evolving capacities of the child. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
  3. ↑ Bueren, Geraldine Van; Europe, Council of (2007). Child Rights in Europe: Convergence and Divergence in Judicial Protection. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. p. 37. ISBN   9789287162694.
  4. ↑ Phillips, D.C. (2014). Encyclopedia of Educational Theory and Philosophy. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications. p. 126. ISBN   9781452230894.
  5. ↑ (n.d.) Evolving Capacities and Participation. Canadian International Development Agency.
  6. ↑ Page, Jane; Tayler, Colette (2016). Learning and Teaching in the Early Years. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN   9781107697188.
  7. ↑ Stoecklin, Daniel; Bonvin, Jean-Michel (2014). Children’s Rights and the Capability Approach: Challenges and Prospects. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 69. ISBN   9789401790901.
  8. 1 2 Tobin, John (2019). The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN   9780198262657.
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