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"The child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding".

We must face up to our humanitarian responsibilities to accept refugee children and their families. We must take them out of the immigration detention centres and welcome them into the community where they can play, learn and grow. At least then when our children look back on this time and ask us what we did to stand up for refugee kids, we can say we gave them their childhood." (Calvert, 2001).

The National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention refers to the adequacy and appropriateness of Australia’s treatment of child asylum seekers and other children who are, or have been, held in immigration detention, including:

The current mandatory detention policy of the Commonwealth of Australia breaches the fundamental principle of the rights of the child which is that children should be able to develop to their full potential. The policy breaches every article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The policy violates the right to health as established by international law.

The University of Western Sydney, Bankstown Campus is located approximately twenty minutes from Villawood Detention Centre. Within the School of Education and Early Childhood Studies there is a strong commitment to social justice and to the celebration of diversity. The undergraduate early childhood program developed by academics at the university promotes awareness of the rights of children and encourages students as early childhood professionals to become informed advocates for the rights and well being of children within diverse communities both in Australia and within a global context.

Michael Dudley Conjoint Senior Lecturer, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Sydney Children's Hospital, and Chair, Suicide Prevention Australia

This submission makes brief comment on the education of children in detention. It provides a more complete picture of the education services offered to these children by the Department of Education, Training and Employment in South Australia (hereafter the department) after they have been processed as refugees and released into the community. Note is also made of a group of children who have been sent to Adelaide as detainees in a place of alternative detention and also of recent discussions on the issue of children in detention being enrolled at Woomera Area School.

ACDE is the national peak organisation representing deans of faculties of education and heads of schools of education in Australian universities, and in other institutions providing recognised teacher education qualifications. ACDE members are responsible for initial and post-initial teacher education (schools, VET, early childhood, tertiary, some other instructors/educators), education research and scholarship, and education research training.

The Australian Federation of University Women is one of seventy-one national affiliates of the International Federation of University Women. Founded in 1922, it pursues educational initiatives to advance of the status and well-being of women and girls privately and publicly, nationally and internationally, and it attempts to further peace and international co-operation through the development of understanding and friendship between women of the world irrespective of race, nationality, religion or political opinion.

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) is pleased to respond to your invitation of 21 December to make a submission to the HREOC inquiry into children in immigration detention. The NCEC is the official body appointed by and responsible to the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference for developing, enunciating and acting upon policy at the national level for the Church's work in education.

The Queensland Independent Education Union (QIEU) Equity Committee is a committee of employees in the non-government sector of education who are concerned with issues of justness and fairness in relation to employees and students in the non-government sector of education specifically and wider contemporary society generally. Members of the Equity Committee are currently or have in the past been employed as educators in the non-government sector of education and draw on a background of experience in primary and secondary education as well as experience in adult education.

The QTU beleives that refugee detention centres should be immediately closed down and replaced with the placement of all refugees in appropriate communities."

The United Nations Youth Association of Australia welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. The issue of immigration detention for children has been coming under increased scrutiny in the past eight months. As far as it affects our international standing, the standards by which we treat children and our policies regarding refugees, it is a matter of great importance, which must be rigorously discussed in the public arena.

If you have any queries about the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention, please contact the Commission by emailing paffairs@humanrights.gov.au.

Two Assistant Commissioners have been appointed to assist the Inquiry. Prof Thomas and Dr Sullivan will assist the Inquiry in providing advice in their respective fields of expertise and will assist with public hearings.

In November 2001, the Human Rights Commissioner announced an Inquiry into the adequacy and appropriateness of Australia's treatment of child asylum seekers and other children who are, or have been, held in immigration detention, including:

In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities … exist, a child belonging to such a minority … shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.

from Behaviours Associated with Victimisation in The Impact of Current and Traumatic Stressors on the Psychological Well-Being of Refugee Communities. [1]

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.