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Abstract
The United Nations Convention on Children’s Rights and the subsequent African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child together with the Bill of Children’s Rights and numerous other policies and regulations in many African countries have set the precedent for children’s rights to be respected and implemented across the African Continent. However, little is known about the actual advancement of children’s rights within Sub-Saharan Africa; hence, the purpose of this study was to explore the advancement of children’s rights within an African context. This qualitative study included a sample of eight respected leaders on different aspects of children’s rights, including academics; policy analysts; directors of children’s centres; legal experts; and members of national, regional, and international committees on children’s rights issues. Data were collected through individual interviews, a questionnaire and the analysis of instruments on children’s rights. The findings indicate there have been considerable improvements in terms of the development of policies and instruments concerning children’s rights. However, challenges around implementation were vividly conspicuous. It is argued here that school psychologists should adopt a social justice framework embedded within a rights based approach to promote children’s rights within the African context.
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Author biography
Jace Pillay is a South African Research Chair in Education and Care in Childhood in the Faculty of Education, the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests are in the field of educational and community psychology with particular focus on diversity issues, such as racism, anti-bias practices, human rights, and values education. His current research focuses on the psychoeducational experiences of orphans and vulnerable children with particular emphasis on learners from child-headed households.
