Children’s referendum - A welcome change

There was a time, not so very long ago, when it was said that children should be seen and not heard.

In this week, when people are being asked to vote to enshrine the right of a child in the Constitution, the publication of the findings of a national consultation of 66,705 primary and secondary school pupils should be warmly welcomed.

The findings provide an interesting insight into what children consider important. It is noteworthy that the highest percentage of those children think that the educational system is the best thing about this country.

That undoubtedly reflects a major change in outlook from when their grandparents were reared in the era of corporal punishment. For them, school was often a place of terror.

When a similar study was conducted in 1999, only 825 pupils responded, so the latest study shows an 80-fold increase. Children’s Minister Francis Fitzgerald said the study demonstrated the commitment of the Government to listen to the views of children.

This is — and should be recognised as — a pleasant change in the times.