April is a colourful month. It has April Fools’ Day, Easter and another important, yet neglected, memorial. The former two are widely recognized, but the latter one — Children’s Day on 4 April — often seems lost in the crush of other events.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children should be ensured the following rights: protection and prevention against discrimination, abuse, neglect and exploitation; provision of care and services; and participation in decision-making. In short, all children should be given the rights of survival, development, protection and participation. The Convention has been formally endorsed by more than 170 countries, including China and Great Britain. In September 1994, it was also extended to Hong Kong.

There is no doubt that most Hong Kong children have a reasonable standard of living, if not a luxurious one. But are Hong Kong’s children really given a free and wholesome environment for development? Are they fully protected from abuses by a comprehensive legal system? In what ways can they contribute to society and participate?

In fact, without a comprehensive Equal Opportunities Act, we can never be sure that children’s potentials are developed in a free and fair environment; nor can we say that child abuse is totally prohibited. On the contrary, in Hong Kong, physical abuse — especially sexual abuse — remains such a serious problem that it requires further public attention. Many kids are also left alone at home without sufficient care by working parents.

In its April issue, Varsity looks at local children from different points of view. Children’s problems reveal family problems. In commemorating Children’s Day on 4 April, parents should think more about the important roles that children fulfil in their daily lives, and they should pay more attention to enhancing communication with their children. Meanwhile, the government should work on a comprehensive bill so that these future pillars of society are ensured a pleasant environment to grow and develop.