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CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TO RELAX AND RECREATION FROM THE EUROPEAN STANDPOINT

Danuta Marzec, E. Janigova, E. Zhigulova, A. Staroniek

Abstract

In European countries, including Poland, parents and psychologists are starting to pay more and more attention to overload of children with school duties and additional classes and tutoring before starting attractive studies or even working to earn extra money. According to UNICEF, around 150 million children all over the world aged 5 to 14 years are forced to work, with the highest number in African and Asian countries and in Central and Eastern Europe, which represents ca. 5% of global population. This has a negative effect on amount, organization, contents and forms of spending leisure time, which is a necessary component of healthy psychophysical and social development of children. Biopsychological development of children and young people requires a creative activity, relax and recreation, spending leisure time according to interests, tastes and hygiene requirements of school work. The amount of leisure time and forms of organization of this time has a substantial effect on quality of life of the person. The key role in education for recreation in early childhood is played by family. Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) ratified by Poland in 1992, puts emphasis on the rights of children to entertainment, culture and recreation. Leisure time pedagogy puts much emphasis on physical activity and movement recreation. Instilling recreation habits should be started already in early childhood. Acquiring and developing motor skills needed for performance of various forms of physical activity and strengthening motivation for healthy attitudes in children and young people are important objectives of physical education, achieved not only through physical education lessons but also within extra-curricular activities. Health aspects of physical activity consist in stimulation of biological, physical, psychical and social development and adaptation of body for exercise, work and strengthening psychical resistance. Physical activity should be connected with pleasure, joy and playing for the child and is the basis for the effectiveness of activities of each human. This problem is important and topical from the pedagogical and social standpoint because recreational behaviours impact on the development of personality and determine social position of the person.

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