Near East University’s “Children’s Rights in Preschool Education Panel” brought together multifaceted expert assessments on rights awareness, safety, and protective social services at an early age, creating a powerful awareness platform.
Protecting children’s rights and raising awareness at an early age is a cornerstone of a healthy society. Acting with this awareness, Near East University organized the “Children’s Rights in Preschool Education Panel” to create a significant discussion platform on children’s rights. The panel, organized in collaboration with the Near East University Dean of Students, Preschool Teaching Club, Atatürk Faculty of Education, and the Social Research and Development Center, was held at the Near East University Irfan Günsel Congress Center.
Participants highlighted the importance of raising children’s rights awareness at an early age and shared current studies and projects related to the development and protection of children’s rights in preschool education. The panel included the topics; “Rights-Based Service Models in Early Childhood and the Role of the Social State”, “Strengthening the Family: The Fundamental Protective Shield of Children’s Rights”, “Children’s Rights Law: Legal Responsibilities in Preschool Education”, “Protective-Preventive Social Service Approaches in the 0-6 Years Period and the Power of Preschool”, “A Rights-Based Approach in the Classroom: Teachers’ Daily Practices”, and “Digital Security in Early Childhood: Children’s Most Vulnerable Area.”
The panel was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dervişe Amca Toklu, Vice Dean and Head of the Preschool Education Department at the Atatürk Faculty of Education at Near East University. Ahmet Dursun Dağcı delivered the opening remarks at the Atatürk Faculty of Education’s Preschool Education Club. Dağcı emphasized the critical importance of ensuring children’s rights are visible, applicable, and sustainable, saying, “Raising rights awareness at an early age is a shared responsibility of educators, families, and social service mechanisms.” At the end of the panel, the speakers were presented with certificates of appreciation by Atatürk Faculty of Education Dean Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl and Vice Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dervişe Amca Toklu.
Early Childhood Rights and Security were discussed…
The panel, which brought together numerous experts in the field, addressed multifaceted approaches to protecting and strengthening children’s rights in early childhood. Sıla Murat, a Social Services Officer at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, emphasized the responsibilities of the social welfare state in early childhood and the importance of rights-based service models. Ecevit stated that risk identification, early intervention, and family support mechanisms should be implemented in strong collaboration with preschool institutions, in line with the principle of the child’s best interests. Anıl Görkem, Family Strengthening Project Coordinator of the SOS Children’s Village, stated that the most effective protective mechanism for protecting children’s rights is “strengthening the family.” Görkem shared holistic models that include psychosocial, economic, and parental counseling to support children in their own family environments, without requiring institutional care.
President of the Universal Children’s Rights Association, lawyer Laden Asilzade presented the legal basis of children’s rights in preschool education and the legal responsibilities of teachers in a simple and understandable framework. She clarified the responsibilities of stakeholders by explaining the legal procedures to be followed in cases of suspected neglect and abuse in the educational environment. Expert Barış Başel from the Department of Social Services, Faculty of Health Sciences of Near East University, explained the vital importance of protective and preventive social services for children aged 0-6. He made important assessments on early detection of trauma symptoms, in-house protective practices, and risk factors for child neglect and abuse.
Expert Leyla Şahin Akın, a classroom teacher at Near East Yeniboğaziçi Primary School, provided concrete examples of how children’s rights can be upheld through daily practices in the classroom. She emphasized that teachers’ communication skills and classroom practices strengthen children’s awareness of rights in a wide range of areas, from the right to participation to positive discipline. Associate Professor Dr. Erinç Erçağ, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Kyrenia, highlighted the invisible risks of the digital world in early childhood. He offered guiding strategies for families and teachers on topics such as screen exposure, personal data security, cyberbullying, and ethical digital tool use.
