육아지원기관에서의 아동권리 실태와 증진방안 연구

Abstract

This study examines the current state of recognition, protection, and education for children’s human rights in childcare facilities. It does this through a nationwide survey conducted among 4,153 teachers and directors of childcare centers and kindergartens in 16 cities and provinces and focus group interviews carried out with 20 selected teachers and directors.

The institutional efforts in recognizing and protecting children’s rights were evaluated based on several criteria, as listed in the childcare center and kindergarten accreditation systems. First, criteria such as the maintenance of children’s health, nutritional intake, and safety (the safety of facilities, safety education, prevention of child-abuse etc.) were used as measures for the right to survival and protection. Second, planning, management, implementation, and the content of ECEC activities and curriculum were used as measures for the right to development. Lastly, the guarantee of participation in daily educational activities was used as a measure for the right to participation.

With regards to the criteria used as measures for the right to survival and protection, sanitation supervision in childcare centers was evaluated lower than lunch service and health supervision. Although the safety indicators were evaluated as being high overall, some indicators such as documentation of sign-in and sign-out procedures at childcare centers, the provision of safety education for teachers, and the inspection of indoor and outdoor facilities received low scores. Survey participants demonstrated a thorough understanding of regulations relating to child-abuse, yet only 42.7% responded that they would immediately report suspected child abuse. Compared to childcare centers, kindergartens were rated relatively low in the provision of adequate child abuse intervention and prevention measures.

In measuring the right to development, 41.5% of childcare centers responded to having three or more special extra-curricular subjects, and full-day kindergartens received lower than average scores on equipment installation and follow-up supervision.

The right to participation was protected best in the following order: public kindergartens, private kindergartens, public and company provided childcare centers, and private and family childcare centers,

The right to survival and protection were best recognized and understood among childcare center staff, and the right to participation among kindergarten staff. However, staff from both types of institutions faced a number of difficulties in promoting the right to participation. The survey participants recognized and showed high degrees of interest in the necessity of receiving education to deepen the understanding of children’s rights, however only half of them have received relevant education and training in this area. They pointed out the unavailability of a universal program designed to provide training on the promotion and education of children’s rights and the high teacher-child ratio as problems in ensuring children’s rights.

Based on the above findings, the following policy measures can be suggested to promote children’s rights: including a criterion ensuring children’s rights in the accreditation system of childcare facilities; expanding time for and enriching children’s rights education for teaching staff; providing children’s rights education for parents; reinforcing the institutionalization of children’s rights education; providing necessary teaching materials/props; improving the ECEC curriculum with regards to children’s rights; expanding the number of children’s rights specialists and support personnel; and lastly, the creation of a monitoring system for children's rights.