unicef report on child welfare

[jason]

UK is accused of failing children (Reportcard 7 (pdf))

Unicef says the study is the first of its kind for child well-being
The UK has been accused of failing its children, as it comes bottom of a league table for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries.

CHILD WELL-BEING TABLE
1. Netherlands
2. Sweden
3. Denmark
4. Finland
5. Spain
6. Switzerland
7. Norway
8. Italy
9. Republic of Ireland
10. Belgium
11. Germany
12. Canada
13. Greece
14. Poland
15. Czech Republic
16. France
17. Portugal
18. Austria
19. Hungary
20. United States
21. United Kingdom

Comments

[jumpinjulia.livejournal.com]

I find it more than a little amazing that the UK is last. While the UK has signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the US signed, but did NOT ratify it, making it one of only 2 countries to fail to ratify that declaration. Among other ways in which the US fails it's children, it continues to allow several states to hand out the death penalty to minors, it does not have a universal healthcare program and therefore thousands of it's children are uninsured and have inadequate access to even the most basic healthcare, and it is/has been holding a handfull of minors in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2001/2 without charge, access to lawyers, education, or hope for release. Of course, we could say the same thing about some of the US's adults... but that's not the point... the point is that the UK has universal healthcare and no death penalty... so how can the UK be last??

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

I've only skimmed the report, but they included data collected from children, not just policy materials. I think that the brit kids might be less self-deluded? I wonder if the american children might think they're getting the best, even when they're getting 'shite'. And Canada would score higher, I think, if we weren't so sure we were getting screwed over. Lots of interesting subjecctivities in there... which is good. IMHO.

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I found that result odd as well.

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

really? why?

I thought that in general.......

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

healthcare, childcare and education are good in the UK. Not just for the rich but also for the average child. So, I was surprised about their low rating.

Re: I thought that in general.......

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they'd rank higher if they were more ignorantly unaware of their fate. But alas...

[jumpinjulia.livejournal.com]

hmmm... this even made the evening news, lol.

Yes, I've skimmed it even less than you, believe me. I dunno about the Canada angle. I was thinking that it's actually quite well placed if you consider the lives of our native children, children in foster care/"the system", the demise of educational quality/funding in the public sector, the ghettoisation of our minorities, ... yeah, 12 is prolly about right. Mind you, that would only be that way because we have a larger community of "other ethnics" than most of the first 11 countries.

Ugh, these kinds of ranking studies are always so subjective.

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

Thank god for subjective. Objective would just ignore the voice of the people who are subjects of the study, no?

And the good news...

[roger-kuin.livejournal.com]

Check out the story behind your no. 1 in the league table. It's here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6360517.stm

Of course, you have to be careful. These disgustingly happy kids grow up to be elderly Pollyannas, always looking on the f*cking bright side, quite unfit for the Real World. Like some Old Bears we know. Thank god for the New Brits.

Re: And the good news...

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

AN interesting article! It jives with what I have seen or divined, especially in terms of going through the wild years before settling down. I wonder why there is such a need to bring children up in fear, when it just isn't necessary. Well, I'll go fix that now, eh?

[roger-kuin.livejournal.com]

Oh, and by the way, my grandchildren are English and growing up in England (though not in London, Leeds, or Manchester), and seem fairly repulsively happy also.

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

I blame your genetic input on their dastardly happiness. And the reason canadians are so low may perhaps be due to their SELF depreciation rather than any external factor. THough that's probably why the Americans are so high. :)

It is sweet to see a proud and happy gPa