Summary
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts the child’s right to identity, privacy, freedom of thought and beliefs, but also a right to protection. In the Swedish curricula for pre-school and school (Ministry of Education and Science in Sweden, 1994, 1998), it is stated that children should be treated with respect and that all education should be based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This article deals with children’s right to integrity in early education. The aim is to analyse the tension between how to respect and protect the young child’s integrity and how to guide the child in learning and respecting others. The analysis is based on a number of studies dealing with morality from the perspectives of children and teachers in early education. Respect for children’s integrity is discussed in terms of a complex relationship between personal and cultural views of children and childhood, conceptions of the pedagogical assignmentand the structures and organisation of pre-school and school.
Résumé
La Convention des Nations Unies relative aux Droits de l’Enfant affirme le droit à l’identité, à la vie privée, à la liberté de pensée et d’opinion, mais aussi le droit à la protection. Dans les programmes suédois d’éducation préscolaire et scolaire (Ministère de l’Education et des Sciences en Suède, 1994, 1998), il est déclaré que les enfants doivent être traités avec respect et que toute éducation doit être fondée sur la Convention des Nations Unies relative aux Droits de l’Enfant. Cet article traite du droit de l’enfant à son intégrité en éducation préscolaire. L’objectif est d’analyser le dilemme entre le respect et la protection du jeune enfant, d’une part, et, d’autre part, la nécessité de la guider dans ses apprentissages et l’amener à respecter autrui. L’analyse s’appuie sur plusieurs études concernant la moralité du point de vue des enfants et des enseignants en éducation préscolaire. Le respect de l’intégrité des enfants est discuté en termes de relations complexes entre une vision personnelle et culturelle des enfants et de l’enfance, deconceptions de la mission pédagogique ainsi que des structures et de l’organisation préscolaire et scolaire.
Resumen
La convención de los niños de ONU reconoce al niño el derecho de identidad, vida privada, libertad de pensaminetos y ideas y confirma que el niño tiene derecho de protección. Los programas suecos de enseñanza dicen que el alumno va a encontrar respeto por su personalidad e integridad, y al mismo tiempo exige que el profesor efectúe un trabajo pedagógico especifico. En este articulo se examinan los dilemas que el profesor enfrenta en relación con el trabajo pedagógico y el derecho a integridad y protección al niño. El análisis está construido sobre la base de algunas investigaciones sobre las relaciones éticas entre los alumnos y los profesores en la escuela preparatoria y la significación de dichas acciones. Se presenta el respeto a la integridad de los niños como una relación compleja entre la visión humana del profesor y los imaginarios que subyacen al trabajo pedagógico y las estructuras y organización de la escuela preparatoria.
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