Volume 14, 2025
Evolving Capacities of Children: A Practical Demonstration of its Classroom Workability
Oluyemi Christianah, OJO, Joana CADIMA & Tania Maria, VIEIRA SILVA
Abstract
Children need protection to enhance autonomy and allow their capacities to evolve. This term has been given
many denitions, diverse perspectives, its challenges and limitations to children especially very young children
who were seen as too young to exercise their rights in making decision on what pertains to them. Ever since the
ratication of evolving capacities of children by the UN, little or nothing has been done in putting this principle
into practice in the classroom of young children especially in Nigeria. This could be as a result the concept not
having a particular denition that underpins it. This paper therefore analyses a practical demonstration of this
concept using a privately-owned early Childhood Education School in Portugal as a case. The paper adopted an
analytical method. The data was gathered through direct observations.The study concluded that teachers
should not only read or memorise the rights of the child as it regards the evolving capacity of a child but should
also put into practice in the classroom. The study concluded that teachers should demonstrate practically the act
of the rights of the child by making pupils regardless of their ages or sex to be part of classroom decision making
especially on things that affect the children in the classroom. However, teacherswere encouraged to collaborate
with the children making this a success, embark on different projects using different scenarios or events that
could facilitates learning. School owners were encouraged to fund such projects and supervise teachers while
embarking on such projects.
Keywords
Children, Classroom, Demonstration, Evolving capacity, Workability
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