New Findings on Child Policy Worldwide

Globally comparable available information on children’s outcomes is improving but remains sparse in many areas. Even rarer and less systematic is information on what is being done to meet children’s needs. There has been next to no readily comparable  information on what laws, policies, and programs countries have in place to address each of the areas vital to children’s healthy development: access to quality education protection from child labour and early marriage, good health care, working conditions for adults that enable parents to care for their children, freedom from discrimination, and access to resources to meet basic family needs. In the absence of readily comparable information on countries, our ability to support national progress has been limited.

Drawing on original data on policies and laws around the world, this report seeks to provide a global picture of where we stand in terms of policy tools that governments can use to make a difference in children’s life chances.

A basic need for children is for their family to have enough income to support their healthy development; most of this income is the result is the result of adults’ work and wages. Most countries around the world, 167 of the 189 countries on which we were able to collect information, have established a minimum wage. However, in 40 of these countries, a working adult earning the minimum wage with one dependent child would be living on $2 or less per person per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity. Working adults also need to be able to take time off from work to care for children when necessary. While the vast majority of the world guarantees paid leave for new mothers, with just 8 countries failing to do so, countries are far behind on paid leave for fathers. A minority of countries, 81 worldwide, provide paid leave that can be taken by men upon the birth or adoption of a child.

Some families need additional financial assistance to meet the needs of their children with special needs, but most countries are falling short. Just 58 countries worldwide provide a benefit or supplement specifically for families supporting children with disabilities.

When it comes to education, global progress is mixed. Primary education is tuition free in the vast majority of countries around the world -166 of the 174 countries for which we were able to collect data. However, looking to secondary school, a minimum requirement for most jobs that provide a decent income, there are still major gaps. Twenty-three countries report charging tuition when students begin secondary school, and it is charged before the end of secondary school in 38 countries. Once children enter school, the quality of the education that they receive is a critical concern. In 48 countries, lower secondary school teachers must have completed only a secondary education. Children’s chance to actually attend school depends on much more than its affordability. Child labour and child marriage are significant obstacles for many children, and many countries do not have the legal framework in place to protect them. Six countries have no legislated national minimum age for full-time employment. In 5 countries, children may work full-time as young as 12 or 13, 29 countries at the age of 14, and 63 countries at 15. As well, national minimum age for marriage all too frequently disadvantage girls in a total of 54 countries, girls are legally permitted to marry between 1 and 3 years younger than boys; in no country can boys be married at a younger age than girls.

Children with disabilities may need additional support when it comes to schooling. While in international agreements the global community has recognized that inclusive special education is the best choice for most of these children, the reality on the ground has not kept up with the agreements. The majority of the world’s countries, 155, have some provision for special education in the public education system. Of these, only 73 countries include children with and without disabilities in the same classrooms. Sixty two countries include them within the same schools but not the same classrooms, and 20 countries do not educate children with and without disabilities within the same schools.

No other resources are currently associated to this one

Have Your Say

Members are able discuss this resource in the BASW Member Forum. Please login to allow this feature.

Continuous Professional Development

Members are able to add an entry to their CPD record here. Please login to allow this feature.