Tímarit um menntarannsóknir - 01.01.2014, Side 38

Gunnar E. Finnbogason og Halla Jónsdóttir
reality of children and adolescents is sepa-
rated from their own perspective and that
children are active participants in shaping
this reality. The world of children and ado-
lescents, as they understand it, is central
here.
The Convention emphasizes active de-
mocracy which is based on communica-
tion and respect. It recognizes the need to
understand other human beings and work
with them. The thought here is that chil-
dren should be more active participants
and have different ways and possibilities
to influence their situation. Children vary
and adults can not know in advance how
a child will seek its rights. Through the
democratic process all participants jointly
agree on an acceptable result. Age is no
longer a decisive factor when creating the
conditions for individuals to influence
their life situation. The provision in the
convention which states that all decisions
should be made with the best interests of
the child in mind can be problematic in
implementation. When this provision is
applied, strong interests can collide and
the outcome depends on the circumstances
and who interprets the provision. There-
fore, it is important, with regard to teacher
education, that the ethical dimension of
teaching is well explained. Ultimately,
this is about power and questions of class,
gender, nationality and age are important.
Teachers are expected to be able to apply
the provisions of the Convention in a prac-
tical way and take into account the dignity
of all children. Hence, it is important to
study the input of the Convention, respect
its provisions, and apply them when ap-
propriate.
Keywords: United Nations Convention on the Right
of the Children, childrens rights, conflict of interests,
ethical dilemmas.
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