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Access to culture and leisure activities
Access to education Access to education is an uncontested right. The convention states that it is the role of
Article 31 recognizes the right of the child
the State to make education compulsory
to leisure and to free participation in cul-
and free. But gratuity is far from being a
tural life and arts, with equal opportunities
reality : the activities organised by schools
for every child.
and the resulting costs are often a burden
If health is already inaccessible for many
for a family budget. Children whose parents
of them, how many will then be deprived of
cannot ensure a full participation to these
this access to culture and leisure? Children
“extras” are, or at least feel, stigmatized.
living, temporarily or not, in a poor eco-
And we are fully aware of how damaging
nomic situation find themselves quickly
exclusion can be for self-esteem...
marginalized, as they don’t have access to many attractive but expensive initiatives,
Equal opportunities as advocated through
be it trainings or participation to various
the convention is not always put into prac-
cultural events.
tice. Many discriminations are to be de-
Appendix
nounced every day in the reception made In our era of multiculturalism, socio-cul-
to difference, be it of cultural, economical,
tural and economical exclusion of children
physical or psychological! Indeed, children
in situation of precariousness, tributary of
bearing a handicap are not protected from
the situation of their parents, does noth-
being refused or set aside, by people or in-
ing but reinforce the breach between social
stitutions who claim to be there to serve all
classes among children and within society
children. Can we imagine a modern, multi-
as a whole.
cultural and democratic society neglecting its own future through its very children?
Many children are also deprived of sporting activities because of the cost they raise, which is not without consequences on their
Young migrants
health, their socialisation and, in the end, on the growth of active citizens.
Children of foreign nationality who are knocking at our doors, often in situation
Though we rose in our manifesto in 2009
of great fragility, are sometimes victims of
that financial obstacles could be partial-
a system violating certain elementary hu-
ly removed by proactive policy making,
man rights.
some cultural, educative and social barriers remain that aren’t reduced enough at school.