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  • The right of children to participation has yet to be realized

    Although people under the age of 18 do not have the franchise, they are nevertheless municipal residents and are such are entitled to have an influence on the affairs of their local authority. It is all too rare in municipalities that children and youth are asked their opinions about the bases of decisions affecting them or are given understandable information on issues. And yet the Constitution states that children must be able to affect matters that concern them, according to their level of maturity.

    The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child points out that children need special protection. The same agreement guarantees the rights of children to participation, to influence matters and to be heard. The basic principles of Finnish legislation and the school curriculum take children's rights into account. On the other hand, in practice the rights of children to be involved in decisions have not been realized. This is basically a question of the attitudes of adults and a lack of action.

    Participation involves contact and interaction between children and adults in day-to-day services. In addition, it concerns the structures in which children themselves and together with adults can talk about common matters. What's needed is that adults have the time, will and skills to listen to the views of children and young people of different ages. There is also a need for student bodies, youth councils, children's parliaments and other forums that exert a common influence.

    Children's priorities are
    often different

    According to a report of the office of the Ombudsman for Children, the most important services in the opinion of children are, apart from school, sports and library services. As service clients, adults are canvassed for their opinions on the quality and development of services. But what about children?

    One would think that the social work involved in child protection would be a very child-oriented service. But the actual clients involved in child protection - children themselves - only seldom get to tell of their experiences and opinions as a basis for the development work of local authorities.

    According to a survey of the Ombudsman for Children's office, the opinion of children on how they enjoy school life is influenced particularly by how their school is furnished and its physical environment, the functionality of the playground, and the quality and quantity of school food and the length of the dinner break. Children nevertheless felt that they can only rarely influence these things. This is certainly not a question of bad intentions by adults, but rather their thoughtlessness. Not all adults involved in municipal services and decision making know about children's rights. It is generally reckoned that adults simply know better. They may lack the ability to interact with children. And time is anyway short. 

    The right of children to participation does not mean that they are turned into ‘little adults'. On the contrary, adults need to learn to appreciate the knowledge and experiences that children have in line with their age level. Children's priorities are often different. Their participation is not chiefly a matter of holding meetings. Knowledge can be gained from children in many ways: by discussing with them, observation, painting and drawing, and by examining the surrounding environment together with them.

    Participation nurtures the
    sense of community

    Is there any advantage to be gained from children's participation? Undoubtedly. Adults are able to learn about children's different perspectives and can learn to make better decisions when they take into account the knowledge and experience of children and youth.

    Participation nurtures children's sense of community and consideration for the views of others. Participation also enhances societal commitment. Giving children feedback helps them to understand how decisions are taken and why not all proposals are always implemented.

    Participation and having an influence also incites the feeling and experience that "As a child and young person I matter", and " People are interested in my opinion".

    School is the most important forum in municipal services. The school administration sets the direction for whether the work of the studies director values the opinions of children or the student body. The bases of the teaching curriculum serve as a reminder that the school is part of the local community. It is also important to strengthen the links at municipal level between the school and youth work.


    Maria Kaisa Aula
    Ombudsman for Children