Respect and listen to children's opinions

Children need to be respected and listened to.

56.7% of children have their opinions listened to and respected by their parents

This figure is mentioned in the Vietnam Child Participation Survey Report 2024, published by the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD) last week. The survey is an activity within the framework of the Project "Preventing physical and mental violence and discrimination against children, including children with disabilities" implemented by this agency, with the support of Save the Children.

The survey was conducted in 6 provinces and cities in the North - Central - South regions including: Yen Bai, Hanoi , Da Nang, Kon Tum, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Thap from December 2023 to May 2024, with the participation of 831 children sharing their opinions.

According to the report, children's participation in the family has positive aspects, shown through the rate of children who are often and very often listened to and respected by their parents (56.7%). However, the data also shows that boys tend to be listened to more. School is where children access information and social activities, but there are not many opportunities for them to confidently express their opinions. Specifically, 63% of students have never discussed with school leaders, feeling that issues of friendship and love are still a sensitive topic, difficult to share. In the community, the level of children's participation is still quite low. On a scale of 1 - 5, no activity has an average score of 3 or higher, showing that children's autonomy and participation in the community is more limited than in the family and school...

According to Ms. Pham Thi Thuy - Head of the Department of Children's Participation Development, Department of Children, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs: Recently, Children's Rights have received much attention from ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union . The Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs has organized communication on Children's Rights, created leaflets and brochures on children's rights and responsibilities, and organized seminars and talks on children's rights... However, the figure of 20.1% of children have never heard or known about Children's Rights, showing that we need to further strengthen communication work and training for children, especially children in schools.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Huy - Vice Principal of Phu Dong Secondary School (Ba Vi, Hanoi) said: 63% of students have never discussed or had a dialogue with school leaders - This is a statistic, for us - those who work ineducation , we understand that discussing with school leaders is always something that students are very afraid of. Recently, schools have also actively promoted children's rights and responsibilities for their own work. At Phu Dong Secondary School, the principal's and vice principal's offices are always open to answer all questions from students during their time at school.

Care about children's voice and participation

Mr. Huy also said that after monitoring the data in the report, he and the staff and teachers had many concerns about the participation of children in the school. In the era of technological development, the rate of children participating in social networks is very high. There are cases of posting, even broadcasting sensitive images, school violence, insulting peers. Therefore, the school and teachers often spend time in class, talking to better understand the thoughts and aspirations of the children, at the same time reminding and encouraging them...

Also talking about this issue, Master Nguyen Ngoc Nhung - Deputy Head of the City Youth Union, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union Council shared: All children have the right to exercise the same groups of rights. In the locality, units always create all conditions for students to participate in community activities such as participating in the children's council, children's rights club, etc. The City Youth Union has coordinated with relevant agencies to organize activities to listen to children's voices through discussions and conversations. All opinions directly or online are recorded and answered specifically.

As a father and a former child, Mr. Le Xuan Duc, content creator - owner of the channel "Bo Sau", believes that adults are the ones who need to proactively participate in the world of children first, then it will be easier for children to participate in other activities. In his family, he and his wife let their children make their own decisions and do their own work, instead of having too much urging and support from their parents.

This is also the wish of Phung Truong An Nhan, a student at Phu Dong Secondary School (Ba Vi, Hanoi) and some other children. Nhan shared: I feel very lucky that our opinions are of interest to our parents. However, in reality, I realize that because of our busy lives, our parents still ignore and overlook our opinions. I hope that my opinions and views will be listened to more by everyone.

Ms. Tran Van Anh - Deputy Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research shared: The survey data has shown its relevance and practical value. Children's participation is first of all in accessing information, thereby having the opportunity to express opinions and wishes, and those opinions need to be respected and responded to by relevant parties. Children also have the right to participate and make decisions on issues related to children. Hopefully, the survey report will contribute to raising public awareness of the role of children in society, and at the same time receiving feedback from many relevant parties, thereby promoting an environment where children are encouraged to participate and contribute.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/ton-trong-va-lang-nghe-y-kien-cua-tre-em-10292189.html