36th National Children’s Parliament in Slovenia focuses on school systems

In mid-May, Eurochild member, the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth, organised the 36th National Children's Parliament held at the National Assembly in Ljubljana.

Primary school pupils from across Slovenia gathered at the National Assembly in Ljubljana for the 36th National Children’s Parliament. This year’s central topic was the school system. The young participants were welcomed by the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.

A total of 115 pupils, together with 24 peers acting as young journalists, shared their views and experiences of the school system. Their discussions focused on interpersonal relationships and cooperation, learning content and “school for life”, teaching and learning methods, values, and responsibility.

During the discussions, the children highlighted several key messages:

• Relationships among students have a significant impact on well-being at school.
• There is a need for stronger relationships between teachers, students, and parents.
• Young people want to be more actively included in shaping the school system, with their opinions taken into greater account.
• Learning should include more practical examples that connect knowledge to everyday life.
• There should be more practical content and workshops in schools.
• Pupils would like more education on financial literacy, digital literacy, first aid, etiquette, critical thinking and online safety.
• They expressed a wish for less fontal teaching and more active student involvement.
• They called for less emphasis on memorisation and more focus on understanding and connecting knowledge.
• They pointed out that pupils often feel afraid to ask for help because of ridicule or inappropriate responses.
• The key values they highlighted were: responsibility, respect, empathy, cooperation, family, friendship and critical thinking.
• They also raised concerns about the challenges young people face in taking responsibility for their actions.

These are only some of the ideas and proposals shared during the event. Each year, we are inspired by children’s thoughtful reflections and insight, but we miss adults really hearing them.

At the end of the event, the young participants selected the theme for the upcoming school year: Digital world, artificial intelligence, and the responsible use of technology.

For further information, please contact Petra Zega, Professional Associate, at the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.