The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Where children have a say

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Where children have a say

Staff Reporter

Meeting discusses child participation at all levels

CHENNAI: A world where children have a say in matters that concern them maybe a long way off, but around 650 children from across Tamil Nadu met to discuss exactly that.

The Forum for Promotion of Children’s Participation organised the second State-level convention to ensure child participation at all levels. The two-day convention began on Saturday with an exhibition inaugurated by Minister for School Education Thangam Thennarasu. The exhibition showcased children’s aspirations and forms of participation they desired within the family, school, community and government.

State convener Virgil D’ Sami said the children were between 10 and 18 years of age. “On Sunday they elected the new office-bearers to the Federation of Children Movements for Right of Participation. They held group discussions and came up with recommendations on how to improve participation. They also elected members for district- and State-level bodies, ” she said.

Some of the recommendations the children came up with included the need for their opinions and aspirations to be heeded at all levels and for space to discuss their needs. At the governmental level, the children noted that there was no space for them to voice their opinions. They called on the government to allow representations at the gram sabha or set up gram sabhas specially for children.

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