Introduction and about the book!
Have you read A Little Princess? I remember my sister got it for my birthday and it became (and still is!) my favourite book. It follows Sara Crewe, a wealthy beautiful girl with an extraordinary imagination, who is a brilliant storyteller and shares her stories with the other girls at her boarding school ‘Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies’ after her adoring father leaves her there. Sara lives a life of luxury with pretty dresses and special dolls and all the other girls want to be her friend. This all changes after it’s announced that her father, ‘Captain Crewe is dead!’ and ‘didn’t leave a penny’. From here onwards there are many issues Sara is forced to face which we will now go on to explore and see how actually, children have rights and shouldn’t have to go through any of these difficulties.
Wait, children have rights?!
The United Nations is an organisation of which 193 out of 195 countries in the world are a part. The United Nations has a Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). A right is something which cannot be taken away and the rights set out in the UNCRC apply to anyone under the age of 18. It is essential that every child is aware that they have them, and governments have a duty to ensure this happens.
Let’s have a look at 6 rights which Sara had taken away from her and figure out what should’ve happened instead.
Article 15 Every child has the right to meet with other children and to join groups and organisations
Can you imagine if you were always alone or not allowed to hang out with people your age? Think of all the socialising you probably do. Clubs, school, family, friends, and parties are just a few examples. Sara is denied access to this right as Miss Minchin says that she will not allow her to talk to other children and that ‘It is better that she should live a separate life’. This is a violation of her rights!
Article 19 Children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and bad treatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.
‘Sara’s frocks grew shorter and shabbier’, ‘she wore shoes with holes in them’, and was to be blamed and punished for everything even if she didn’t do it. This is neglectful. Currently, there is debate in Wales considering changes to school uniform policies to make them more affordable. One proposal is for the requirement for school logos to go, this would mean that uniforms can be bought more budget-friendly (e.g. from the supermarket) rather than from expensive uniform shops. It means it would be cheaper to replace uniforms and families don’t have to risk them getting small and shabby if they cannot afford them. Sara’s dirty dresses and worn shoes may not seem to be an issue but, children have a right to not have that.
Article 20 If a child cannot be looked after by their immediate family, the government must give them special protection and assistance AND Article 25 If a child has been placed away from home, they have the right to a regular review of their treatment and the way they are cared for
Some children can’t live with their family for lots of reasons, maybe like Sara who has become orphaned. But this should not be allowed to mean that the child’s life is any worse than that of someone who does live with their family. Unlike Miss Minchin who threatened to throw Sara to the street, there are set procedures in place to make sure children end up in a nice home. In Wales, there are around 17,000 children receiving care like this (which includes living with a relative other than parents, care homes, foster homes etc.) This new home would have people check up on the child to review care and will put the child’s wishes first. If someone checked on how Sara was living, they would have seen she lived in a cold attic.
Article 28 Every child has the right to an education.
Although we may moan about school and how boring it is, it’s incredibly important (even if it does mean we have to wake up early…) The author writes that Sara’s ‘lessons became things of the past’ and she had to go ‘into the deserted schoolroom, with a pile of old books, and study alone at night.’
Article 31 Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
Life would be so boring if we didn’t have time to relax, it’s even a right! When Sara is told “You will have no time for dolls in future”, this right was violated as instead “she tramped through the wet streets, carrying parcels and baskets…she was told that she had better take her meals downstairs; she was treated as if she was nobody’s concern”. The organisation ‘Play Wales’ works with the Government to ensure that this right is not overlooked in decision making and raises awareness of the benefits of play.
Article 32 Governments must protect children from economic exploitation and work that is dangerous or might harm their health, development or education.
This right means that children shouldn’t be used as labourers and workers! This however is what Sara became. She worked day and night and it was tiring and against her rights “After a long, hard day, in which she had been sent here and there, sometimes on long errands through wind and cold and rain, she came in wet and hungry, and was sent out again because nobody chose to remember that she was only a child, and that her slim legs might be tired and her small body might be chilled”. Although this was outlawed in the UK a long time ago, many children across the globe are still forced to work and it’s important this right does not go overlooked.
Conclusion
It is very clear to see how important it is to know that children have rights. Sara’s life could have been so very different, and her happy ending would have come sooner. And guess what? That’s only a FEW of them, there are 42!
Serious consideration is given to the legal rights of children so:
- If you would like to know more on your UNCRC rights in Wales, please click here
- You can continue to learn more about your rights here on this site or read more blogs just like this one here
Please leave a comment if you would like to get in contact to learn more or have any questions!
My name is Florence Symonds, and I am currently a first-year student studying Law at Swansea University. I have truly enjoyed being able to combine my love for books with the law by researching and applying the rights of the child to my favourite book. After I finish my degree, I hope to become a practising solicitor. I love volunteering for projects such as this and hope to do many more.