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OPINION - The international Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to fair and equal opportunities in life. This includes the right to access education and the right to not be discriminated against. Legally, then, it is all in order. However, the reality is a different story.

Sometimes all children should not be treated the same

Research shows that children and young people in the Netherlands who are living in poverty do not have the same opportunities as other children. And the same applies, for example, if you have been born with learning difficulties, struggle with a chronic illness or are growing up in an underprivileged neighbourhood. According to the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, although girls and boys in the Netherlands have the same rights, they are not yet treated the same.

Sometimes all children should not be treated the same. A child who is in hospital is better off not coming to school, and instead being offered education there. We can eliminate disadvantages and increase opportunities by taking into account the needs of each child. However, there are also drawbacks. Imagine your teacher arranging breakfast just for you because your parents are not well-off. Or being taken aside in class every day for extra practice. Special treatment may then lead to stigmatisation by the child's environment. Children will start seeing themselves as 'different', and this self-image will affect their identity development. Equal and unequal treatment both have advantages and disadvantages. We also call this the dilemma of difference.

Can we avoid the dilemma of difference? I think so, if we look at what is considered 'normal' or 'ordinary': can we stretch this to fit every child's needs? This way, you can do justice to equality as well as differences. Fortunately, the government and schools have recognised this in an Equal Opportunities Alliance. A handbook on how to deal with poverty contains good examples. For instance, we could get rid of the voluntary parental contribution and give schools more money to loan laptops and organise field trips. This will allow us to make our activities and interventions more inclusive.

We should also look to the system to promote equal opportunities. When it comes to education, for example, the right to development is very important. An early selection process for secondary education does not sufficiently consider differences in developmental pace. Giving children their academic recommendation later might do more justice to those differences. I came to the Netherlands when I was six and had a messy time in primary school because of several moves. I went to lower general secondary school and got sixes in the beginning and eights at the end. After that, I still got my senior general secondary and pre-university diplomas, also because my parents encouraged me. For me, a later academic recommendation might have turned out differently. And what if my parents had not given me as much encouragement?

So while equal opportunities are part of children's rights, you cannot always enforce them yourself. We must remain vigilant that arbitrary factors do not play a role in favouring one child over another. A just society starts with equal opportunities for all children. It is a fundamental right and, above all, I see it as our duty to realise this.