Amherst Junior and Primary School pupils congress team prepare for the schools’ event due to held next month. With them are Dame Mark Perkins of Specsavers, which is sponsoring the event, and the Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland.(Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0567992)
CHILDREN in Guernsey will form a congress to make their voices heard.
It will give Key Stage 2 primary pupils aged seven to 11 an opportunity to discuss issues with the island’s politicians that range from bullying to crime and alcohol, and healthy eating.
The congress has been established following last year’s Young People’s Survey. Lifelong-learning manager Alun Williams said 2,000 children responded to questionnaires providing vital information on youngsters needs and worries. ‘It was clear then that young people had very strong opinions about their island and wanted the opportunity to speak to politicians and those adults who made decisions about the future of Guernsey,’ he said.
‘We decided to organise the Specsavers primary school’s congress to give young people the opportunity to make their views known to newly elected politicians.’
Each primary school can send up to 10 Key Stage 2 representatives.
They will take part in a variety of activities with States members and civil servants and will report back on their discussions to classmates.
Each school was given a list of topics to discuss, from which they must select four.
Amherst School has a team of 10 school council representatives and will focus on bullying, the environment, keeping fit and ‘something to do’.
School council captain Ellie Ross, 10, said bullying was a concern of hers and should not be allowed to happen.
‘If a child is being bullied they should tell someone about it,’ she said.
‘Bullying can be someone saying horrible things or pushing you, but they are both as bad as each other.’
She said it was important for children to get their voices heard by deputies.
‘I think the congress is a good idea because all school councils in Guernsey can talk together and get their message across.’
Storm Wilson, 10, said she was looking forward to discussing why youngsters think they don’t have anything to do.
‘They think there isn’t anything to do and that is when boredom sets in and can lead to vandalising property, such as our school,’ she said.
‘But there are things for them to do because they could join a youth club.’
Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland visited the school, which he attended in the 1950s, to discuss some of the issues with children.
‘If we continue to invest time and money in the education and development of our children then we will produce excellent leaders and States members in years to come,’ he said.
Dame Mary Perkins, founder of Specsavers, which is sponsoring the new congress, said: ‘We hope that it will be an inspiring day for the youngsters to talk about things that directly affect them and that they will go away with some feedback on how the new States of Guernsey intends to tackle some of these issues and concerns.’
* The primary schools congress will take place on Wednesday 14 May at the Peninsula Hotel.
Article posted on 25th April, 2008 - 11.15am
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