14 April a lecture “Children’s Rights. A contemporary approach and its application in practice”. The lecture was given by renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist, Professor Dainius Pūras. The lecture covered the key principles of child protection and how they should be implemented in practice. “Children’s rights are often the subject of emotional debates, with different points of view. On the one hand, it is a sign of democracy. On the other hand, there are many misunderstandings and even “lies” and conspiracy theories in this area. If all citizens and decision-makers were more familiar with modern principles of children’s rights, there would be fewer disputes. For example, children’s rights principles do not threaten parental authority or pit children against their parents. On the contrary, consistent implementation of the principles of children’s rights would help to strengthen parents’ capacity to raise their children in an effective and non-violent way”, he shared his thoughts. The lecture focused on contemporary approaches to mental health in children and adults. During a pandemic, it is particularly important to know what effective ways can be used to strengthen and protect everyone’s emotional health. The psychiatrist gave parents useful advice, recommendations on how to communicate with and help their child, and answered questions.
Laura Vaitkevičienė, Methodologist, Kaunas Teacher Qualification Centre
