Essay On Equal Opportunities

Every person, regardless if adult or child is entitled to be treated equally and given equal opportunities throughout his/her life. Through this essay we will attempt to define the term equal opportunities. We will then look at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNICEF, 2008) and how this has come to influence the understanding regarding children's rights and responsibilities. Furthermore, we will explore Cyprus's position towards the convention and how this has affected the children of the Country. Lastly we will look into how equal opportunities can be implemented in all Cypriot early years settings.

Equal opportunities refers to all people being entitled to equal treatment without any form of discrimination. Special attention is given to the

All early years settings should make it a point to always refer to all children's national, historical and/or religious events. In this way, children will learn to accept diversity and not fear it. I once had the privilege of being in an early years setting that made it part of their policy to refer to all children's anniversaries/holidays regardless of origin and culture. This enabled the children to celebrate their customs regardless of being away from their country and also allowed the rest of the children to become aware of other societies and customs. Undoubtedly, measures should be taken to avoid discrimination towards children with special needs. Practitioners should make it a point to help children broaden their understanding and acceptance in regards to disabilities. It is imperative that no child feel discrimination. Thus, it is important that all of the above be taken into consideration and implemented as part of the policy. The outcome of these measures could serve as a good teacher that in a contemporary society different groups of people must learn to work, understand and co-exist with each