Let’s ponder on the proposal to change ‘youth’ to children - EDITORIAL

This is also a country where females have been given away in marriage as early as 16 or even at a lesser age of 14. There have been instances of teenagers getting pregnant because they didn’t know the world was cruel and they kept their trust in males who didn’t know how to take responsibility in a relationship

It was reported the other day that Sri Lanka is set to change the legal definition of youth so that in future individuals who are young and coming under the age of 18 and below would be referred to as ‘children’. 
According to newspaper reports a Parliament Select Committee headed by Sudarshini Fernandopulle has recommended this change. Hence the Child and Young Persons’ Ordinance would be in future changed to Children’s Ordinance and any reference to children and young person will be referred to as ‘Children’. 
The parliament select committee is said to report to parliament its recommendations in this regard. 

The purpose in doing so is to ensure gender equality, it was reported.  In Sri Lanka’s recent past there have been occasions when youth aged 18 or over were involved in crimes. There have been occasions when youth have been involved in rape, consuming drugs and being instrumental in murder. 
When a child or young person reaches the age of 18, from a Sri Lankan family perspective, he or she is ready to take more responsibilities or in some instances even take charge of a family business. Hence this rephrasing of the definition of youth must be reviewed with caution. 

A question that will be asked now is whether a teacher or parent can punish a child who is 18 for the wrongdoing or crime committed in the severity of an adult? Will a child of 18 be tried in a juvenile court for any crime committed if he or she commits a crime or wrong doing usually done by an adult? 
This is a country where the government allows individuals who reach the age of 18 to vote at elections. For a ‘child’ to vote at the age of 18 he or she has to have a sound knowledge of the world and what is happening around him/her. 

This is also a country where females have been given away in marriage as early as 16 or even at a lesser age of 14. There have been instances of teenagers getting pregnant because they didn’t know the world was cruel and they kept their trust in males who didn’t know how to take responsibility in a relationship. This recommendation-if passed in parliament-will give more protection and care to females who live in conditions which make them vulnerable to fall prey to human predators. Everyone will be more vigilant to protect a child who is 18 compared to an individual who is of the same age and carrying a different identification label like ‘adult’. 
Children are our assets. It’s these individuals who step into society and take over the baton from adults to steer the country forward. In a country where too much is expected too soon from our youth this amendment if passed in parliament would slowdown teenagers who are 18 and below from stepping into a cruel world too soon. 

This is a country where children have been used for labour. There have been occasions where children have been used for unlawful activities and dangerous employment like, gem mining, working in circuses and handling of ferocious animals. Much of it has happened because these youth have also wanted income earning opportunities because circumstances have pushed them there.  
 Taking all these aspects into considerations and after weighing the pros and cons of it changing the definition of the term youth to children will be encouraged by many.