Discourses of education,protection, and child labor: case studies of Benin,Namibia and Swaziland

This article analyses discontinuities between local, national and international discourse in the fields of education, protection of children, and child labor, using Benin, Namibia and Swaziland as case studies. In Benin, child abuse and child labor are related to poverty, whereas in Namibia and Swaziland they are also interrelated with HIV/AIDS. In these countries, the notion of childhood is seen as continuous with adulthood, and the change from education to work is not abrupt and age-determined, but a smooth transition. The international discourse defines children in binary terms (child or adult), and promotes free and compulsory education for children, without recognizing the direct and indirect costs of education. Projects based on an international discourse may have little relevance in a poverty context where it is natural to make children work to ensure food safety. Local communities consider children from a logic of community survival; the external aid agencies consider them from a logic of individual children's rights. There is a need to find a bridge between these two interpretations of childhood.     

《儿童权利公约》在我国的实施：以行政法为视角的分析

《儿童权利公约》自批准以来,我国行政法律部门在履行公约义务方面取得了巨大的成就,但无论是立法还是执法方面与公约的规定依然存在着不小的差距,为了更好地履行公约义务以提高儿童权利保护的水平,必须进一步完善各级行政立法并进行执法机制改革。     

The ‘yes … but’ dilemma: implementing inclusive education in Emirati primary schools

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the ‘School for All’ inclusive education initiative in 2010. This article investigates the implementation of this initiative in three primary schools from stakeholders’ perspectives. Using a multiple case study approach, data were collected over a full school year from interviews, observations and documents. Findings revealed uneven progress in five areas: staff training and development, school structures, support services, assistive technology and community awareness. The study identified improved access to mainstream classrooms and growing awareness among stakeholders as emerging good practice. However, serious challenges remain regarding teacher training, exclusionary practices, the lack of specialised support services and misguided policies. This study contributes to the evidence‐based research on inclusion in the UAE with some emphasis on Islamic principles, cultural beliefs and the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability in promoting every child's right to an education.