South Korean children and teens are not being granted their right to play, mainly due to a lack of time, a report conducted by a state-run agency showed Sunday.
Minors and adults gave an average of 3.21 out of 4 when asked how much they think children are granted their due rights. When specifically asked about children's right to play, the score dropped to 3.15 according to a survey by the National Center for the Rights of the Child.
A total of 1,177 children and teens between fourth grade and the second year of high school, and 815 adults, including teachers, participated in the nationwide survey.
Most respondents agreed with the rights outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, scoring an average of 3.68. Regarding children's right to play, an average score of 3.69 was given.
This indicates that many Koreans believe children are entitled to the right to play, even though it is not actually granted in many cases.
Children and teen respondents were asked what factors hindered their right to play. Some 40.1 percent said there was just not enough time, 29.4 percent cited adults intervening, and 13.9 percent said there was not enough emphasis on how important the right is.
Adults also picked lack of time as the No. 1 reason (34.8 percent), followed by low perception of the importance of playing rights (25.5 percent) and adults intervening (19.4 percent).
Minors and adults differed on which issue most needed public support: About 38.3 percent of the children and teens said it was most important to provide enough time to play, but 32.5 percent of adult respondents said the most crucial thing is improving public perception of the right to play and its significance.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
