Who is better to take responsibility on children between parents and government

Who is better to take responsibility on children between parents and government

Argumentative essay: Who is better to take responsibility on children between parents and government.

Introduction

Children are entitled to some rights and their parents are responsible for ensuring that they enjoy these rights. Some of them are health and education rights where every child has the right to quality health care and right to education. However, due to the ignorance of some parents and in a means of controlling ensuring that children rights are not infringed on, governments have set laws that that control these practices. Government have showed ethical considerations by setting policies to control health care and education while on the other hand parents are expected to behave ethically by taking care of the children in health wise and enrolling them to schools. This paper will give a debate of who is better to take responsibility on children between parents and government.

Arguments for

Parent

In a normal society, parents are expected to take care of their children and more so raise them in a good manner. Parents are expected to protect the rights of their children in all ways and they should play important roles in health and education matter. This is in line with the Kant principle where he says that allowing parents to maintain their parental rights and to take care of children even if they are foster children (Lovingstine, 2015). Parents have the responsibility of supporting their minor. Comparing parents and the government parents are at better position of taking care of children because of the following. Parents are at a better chance of taking care of the children’s health since they spend most of the times with them. This means they are at a better position of monitoring the health progress about their children. Also, they have the chance of providing balanced diet and ensuring they are physically fit by monitoring their physical activities. Additionally, they can provide tangible assistance and instrumental support for their children (Ward et. al, 2016).

On education matters, education matters are also responsibility of parents to their children. The utilitarianism theory insists that parents should take be ethical by taking their duty. In some cases, children lack the chance of getting education due to their unethical behavior of their parents. According to Arrow, he notes that this theory solves the problem by ensuring that children get the maximum welfare from the society (Arrow, 2006). In UK. there are laws that support inclusive education in UK and all parents are supposed to take their children to school and this has been ratified in the UN Convection of the Rights of the Child. This law protects the interests of the children and their rights (Unicef) this law controls parents to ensure that they take their children to school. But parents are at a better position to support their children academically since they can assist them in homework unlike the government that does not have a direct link with the child. Parents can also choose the most appropriate school that best fits the personality of the child which increases the chance of their success.

Government

The government is also expected to be ethically responsible in matters concerning health and education for the children. In matters of health, government seems to be playing a great role in ensuring that healthcare for the children is checked. In US, vaccine for the Polio is compulsory for the children and this is mandate given to the parent by the government and failure to do this may attract fines. This policy reduces the burden of contracting infectious diseases and it reduces the level of human suffering. It helps those vaccinated to get herd immunity and protect the babies and those with HIV (Ciolli, 2008). However, the vaccine has been received in a negative manner from the public due to the side effects. Some of them include vomiting, body aches and redness and swelling, fever is also another serious side effect which may also lead to death (Anonymous, n.d.). Due to this, parent has been criticizing the government’s effort to improve the health of the children. Government is also at a better position of taking care of the children by reducing the costs of health care of the public hospitals and provision of community education programs on the ways of raising children in a healthy manner.

On education matters, the governments advocate for access of quality education to the children… In US, the Children’s Act requires that every child gets the basic and quality education. It states that every child has the right to education and it is the duty of the parent to support the child including support on education (Family Code, 2001). The government also observes ethics by ensuring that children with disabilities are not left out in the education. Through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which is the federal law that requires school give equal education to the people with disability. In this case, parents should not hide their children with disability at home rather they should take them to school so that they can attain their basic rights. Governments also regulate the quality of education by employing teachers and through the reviewing of the curriculum it ensures that children get the best.

Counter arguments

While parents are expected to take care of their children, some of them are ignorant and they are not sensitive to their children’s health an issue which is controlled by the government. Concerning education, there are parents who do not see the value of education to their children but unless they are coerced to take them to school by the government they are never willing to do so voluntarily. On the other hand, the government has been campaigning for the compulsory vaccine to the children which have resulted to negative perception to the children. To some extent, the parents are taking this as a sabotage as a means of controlling the population of the nation. On the issue concerning education the government provides the policies but they do not make a follow up which make the education systems ineffective especially in the public schools. These schools are flooded with many children and hence the government is unable to control the quality of education and this has taken the efforts of the parents to seek for better schools such as the private schools.

Conclusion

The paper has given a good reflection of roles of each party to the health and education matters of the children. Both parties have ethical responsibility towards the development of children. However, by comparing the two sides, parents are better in taking responsibility of the children. Parents have a direct connection with the children unlike the government that connects to the child through the teacher. Unlike the government, parents can monitor the behavior of the child hence they know them better and more. Parents can also show guidance to their children on health and education issues in a free man unlike teachers who are strict since the follow the rules and regulation as provided by the government.