Wednesday 12 January 2011

Pupil Parliament

Pupil Parliament in Slovenia is something similar to Pupil Council in Scotland, except for it is based on the country level and not on the individual school. The programme was designed with the idea of raising youth for democracy. Brought up issues are discussed on a regional and later on, on the national level. Its beginnings go to the year 1990 and since then it has the role of encouraging children to state their opinions on the raised questions that they choose themselves. Furthermore, the main aim is also to draw their attention to issues such as human and citizens’ rights.
On the one hand, Pupil Parliament was actually established on a student initiative with the idea of being able to present their opinions, ideas, dilemmas about the questions they consider important in their process of growing up in the area they live, attend school or spend free time in. On the other hand, attention form those who posses power to change things or make them better, may it be school, local authorities to government or non-government organisations is expected. In each school, pupils get elected who later on participate in regional and national meetings. Some of the topics of previous meetings were: Taboos- the prohibited things, Primary school now 9years-our opinion, Youth’s fun and free time, Love and relationships, Stereotypes, racism and discrimination.