v
Acknowledgements Thanks are due to Des Gasper for discussions
an earlier version of the paper and the Publica-
of the philosophical literature, Rita Swinnen for
tions Unit at the Bernard van Leer Foundation
conversations about respect for young children,
for its efficiency and courtesy.
an external reviewer for useful comments on
Executive summary ‘Children should be seen and not heard’. Dis-
General Comment 7 of the Committee on the
missive statements like this one about children,
Rights of the Child urges that the youngest
especially young children, are heard in various
children should be respected as persons in their
societies and express a trivialisation of child-
own right, within an environment of reliable
hood that is often taken as justified.
and affectionate relationships based on respect and understanding. But what do such environ-
This paper challenges such routine disrespect
ments look like on the ground? Two case studies
shown to young children in everyday life,
are presented, one pertaining to children from
both in word and deed, in cultures around the
birth to three years in day care environments,
world. It highlights the conceptual disrespect
and the other focusing on children above the
towards young children upon which much
age of four years in primary school settings.
theorising about ‘respect’ – for adults – has been premised from the secular philosophies of the ‘Enlightenment’ until today.