LISTEN: NI children 'being left behind on rights' - Yiasouma

by Q Radio News

Children are being left behind in Northern Ireland as the pandemic halts progress on rights for young people. 

That's according to the Children's Commissioner who's still waiting for the publication of a plan to improve lives.

Koulla Yiasouma says Special Educational Needs and Anti-Bullying legislation passed in 2016 still hasn't been initiated. 

She has called for Children’s Rights to be incorporated into law in Northern Ireland, she said “It would become a checklist by which we make sure we are doing the very best for our children.

The Commissioner says she raised concerns about how the lack of a Government was having a detrimental impact on the lives of children and the possibility for better outcomes, back in 2018.

The Childrens' Commissioner said: “That one year turned into three and progression has been further affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Today we are still waiting for the publication of the Children and Young People’s Strategy, the overarching plan that would guide action on improving children and young people’s lives.

“We also await the initiation of the Special Educational Needs and Anti-Bullying Legislation that was passed in 2016, while households in Northern Ireland continue to have less income on average compared to other parts of the UK. This has only been exacerbated by recent benefit changes and the impact of the Pandemic. Its past time Government act on child poverty, as they did with pensioner poverty, to reverse this trend.

However Koulla Yiasouma has acknowledged some movement since the restoration of devolution. 

She added: “There are certainly ‘green shoots of hope’, and the New Decade New Approach Deal outlines an ambitious programme for addressing many issues which could progress children’s rights here including Age discrimination laws and a commitment to explore educational disadvantage which continues to have major implications on many of our young people."