Religious Studies

Religious Studies - Assignments Y9

Religious Studies at GCSE

Resources available in school

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

As part of your work for Year Nine you will study Human Rights and as a special assignment, focus upon the rights of children. Why do children need special consideration? Simply because they are the most vulnerable group in any human society. They are easily exploited, they can be forced into all manner of horrific situations, they can quickly become the victims of war and deprivation and they should have the full protection of the law everywhere. Unfortunately as you will find out this is NOT the case. Many children are forced to work even from a very early age in some countries. In other countries they are the victims of the so called "sex trade" or they are arrested without trial and tortured, or they have simply lost their parents and have no means to support themselves. To find out more click on the picture above. There is a huge amount of information in this link but be warned, some of it is not very pleasant reading.

There must be better protection for children. This is what this assignment is about.

A. Background Research

Use the Websites set out below to investigate the necessary material

1. Research the Convention on the Rights of the Child by investigating the UNICEF site on the recommended web sites for this unit.

a) What is the definition of a child in the UN convention?

b) What countries have not signed the convention

2. Research the issue of CHILD LABOUR using the following guide:-

a) Go to the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) web site.

b) Enter the “People’s Stories” page and check on Children’s Rights.
Read the stories of the children and then choose a topic or a country to investigate ie

                                       -   All Categories
                                 -   China
                                 -   Children

Read one of the accounts of a child.

3. Investigate the web site for the “Free the Children” organisation. Go to the Information
page and read about FTC & Craig.

What has the organisation achieved since it started?

List at least three achievements.

B. Project

Now that you have done some research and looked at a few web sites, you are ready to do the
main project for this unit.

	Your project should be 1000 words and may be presented in a folder.
	Remember to include a list of all the web sites that you have used.

1. Make a file on ONE COUNTRY ( for example, India or Thailand) and its problems with child labour.

Find a charity or group which tries to help the children of that country. In your project you must:

a) Describe the problem

b) Describe ways that people have tried to help.

              c)      How can you help with this issue.? For example, is there someone you can write to?
                    Is there a campaign that supports ending the abuse? In your project, you need to include
                    some action that could help.

There are some recommended sites on the list of websites for the department.
Please find the list entitled Human Rights Unit recommended sites.

OR

2. 2. Choose a type of child labour and collect information on the abuse.

Find a charity or group which tries to help the children. In your project you must:

a) Describe the problem

b) Describe ways that people have tried to help.

c) How can you help with this issue? For example, is there someone you can write to?
Is there a campaign that supports ending the abuse? In your project, you need to include
some action that could help.

Useful web sites:

Free the Children - http://www.freethechildren.org

UNICEF – http://www.UNICEF.org

Child Labour – http://www.universalrights.net

Child Rights - http://www.hrw.org/children/

http://www.hri.ca/children/youth/