Page 83 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 83
Who Calls the Shots?
The Insiders and Outsiders of (Un)just Participation
in Slovenian Elementary Schools
Urban Boljka, Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia
Jasmina Rosič, School for Mass Communication Research at the KU Leuven
Tamara Narat, Social Protection Institute of Republic of Slovenia
Introduction
The participation of children in the school setting is an increasing-
ly relevant research topic. In the last few years, the literature on it
has expanded from advocacy texts, critiques and descriptions of the
different approaches to both empirical (Hart, 1992; Lansdown, 2001) and
theoretical debates (Kodele, 2017; Marovič, 2017; Mithans, 2017; Rutar,
2013).
Child participation has become an important research topic not
only because it constitutes part of the Convention on the Right of the
Child and introduces children to active citizenship (in practice), but also
with respect to assessing the fairness of the education system in which this
very participation occurs.
In this article, we focus on the last point. We are interested in assess-
ing the Slovenian education system in terms of its readiness to ensure that
all children have the right to be heard and the right to participate in deci-
sion-making process in schools. Child participation is here more particu-
larly understood in terms of children being: a) provided with information
about their right to participate in decision-making in elementary schools;
and b) children being represented in forums, including through their own
organisations, on school, local, regional and national governance levels1.
1 The definition of participation was influenced by the Council of Europe’s project Imple-
mentation of Council of Europe Child Participation Assessment Tool. Focus groups with children
have been conducted as part of this project.
https://doi.org/10.32320/1581-6044.31(3-4)81-106 81
Original scientific article
The Insiders and Outsiders of (Un)just Participation
in Slovenian Elementary Schools
Urban Boljka, Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia
Jasmina Rosič, School for Mass Communication Research at the KU Leuven
Tamara Narat, Social Protection Institute of Republic of Slovenia
Introduction
The participation of children in the school setting is an increasing-
ly relevant research topic. In the last few years, the literature on it
has expanded from advocacy texts, critiques and descriptions of the
different approaches to both empirical (Hart, 1992; Lansdown, 2001) and
theoretical debates (Kodele, 2017; Marovič, 2017; Mithans, 2017; Rutar,
2013).
Child participation has become an important research topic not
only because it constitutes part of the Convention on the Right of the
Child and introduces children to active citizenship (in practice), but also
with respect to assessing the fairness of the education system in which this
very participation occurs.
In this article, we focus on the last point. We are interested in assess-
ing the Slovenian education system in terms of its readiness to ensure that
all children have the right to be heard and the right to participate in deci-
sion-making process in schools. Child participation is here more particu-
larly understood in terms of children being: a) provided with information
about their right to participate in decision-making in elementary schools;
and b) children being represented in forums, including through their own
organisations, on school, local, regional and national governance levels1.
1 The definition of participation was influenced by the Council of Europe’s project Imple-
mentation of Council of Europe Child Participation Assessment Tool. Focus groups with children
have been conducted as part of this project.
https://doi.org/10.32320/1581-6044.31(3-4)81-106 81
Original scientific article
