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Children in the media – it is a seemingly easy topic to approach for journalists, which proves to have many underwater reefs and dangers. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable part of any society, and they require a special approach and treatment.

Armenian Media Resource Center on Child Issues aims to improve coverage of child-related problems in Armenian media and to secure protection of child rights in the work of the journalists.
Let’s join efforts in promoting good practice in the field of information to prevent misuse and misinterpretation of the information that could have hazardous consequences for those who are often helpless to defend themselves, especially children.
Activities 2008

Armenian Public Relations Association and UNICEF Armenian office continue their joint projects and this time implement education and public awareness raising campaign "Creative Child Rights". During the project two contests will be held: “Best journalist article on children issues” for Armenian Mass Media representatives, and “Best scenario for child right course” for Armenian secondary school teachers. 

The award ceremony will be held on 20th November 2008 - on Universal Children’s Day.

Another discovery suppurted by UNICEF

10.31.2008

YEREVAN, 30 October 2008 – UNICEF announced today that rapidly growing student absenteeism and drop out rates are closely linked to child labour as well as quality of education in.

 Findings of “Child Labour in ” and “School Wastage Study Focusing on Student Absenteeism in ” launched today at the UN House in Yerevan revealed that between 2002 and 2005 school dropout rates have been growing at an alarming rate of 250% a year. Thus, if in 2002-2003 total dropouts were equal to 1,531 students, in 2004-2005 this number increased to 7,630.

 Similarly, the study showed that students in higher grades are more likely to be absent than students in lower grades, and students of 2006 were more likely to be absent than students of 2004.

The prevalence of child labour can be directly correlated to children not attending school at all, or dropping out before completion of basic education.”, UNICEF Representative, Laylee Moshiri-Gilani stressed.

According to the findings of the “Child Labour” study, an average of 6.1 per cent or about 3,500 children aged 7-18 are involved in some kind of work in Armenia and more than 40 per cent of  children interviewed during the study were not attending school at all.

 Although the Armenian Labour Code stipulates the minimum age for admission to employment to be 14 years, 30 per cent of working children interviewed during the implementation of the study were below 14.

 “Needless to say, child labour robs children of their childhood itself. But another saddening feature of child labour is that although it often arises because of poverty, it serves only to perpetuate the poverty trap,” Ms. Moshiri-Gilani emphasized.

 The two UNICEF-supported studies complement each other in stressing that efforts to eliminate child labour go hand in hand with improvements in the quality, relevance and affordability of education.

 “The ongoing education reform should guarantee every child access to education and ensure that children who for various reasons fall out of the schooling process be re-integrated into schools at any stage,” UNICEF Representative emphasized, adding that every country, including Armenia, has a continuing responsibility to ensure that our children and young people are protected, their voices are heard, and their rights are upheld.



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