This seminar series aims to provide a forum to share ways of involving children in decision-making in education. It will break new ground by enabling educators and researchers working in countries in the South and North to develop new approaches to children's decision-making, based on experiences from a wide range of contexts. The seminar series is concerned with how children can actively participate in decision-making in schools and other educational contexts. The series builds upon previous UK-based research into student voice and decision-making, citizenship education in the school curriculum and work with children as researchers. In an international context, there is an increasing focus on child rights and promoting children's involvement in decision-making. Starting from the position that children's participation in decision-making is problematic, the series will focus on:
- methodological issues around practices, policies, structures and forms of communication intended to enable children to participate in decision-making
- ethical and political questions around the transformation of power relationships between adults and children
Seminar 1 began by looking at the structures, policies and practices for involving children in decision-making, drawing on case studies and encouraging a cross-cultural (geographically and institutionally) discussion. Seminar 2 will look at the ethical and political dimensions of involving children in decision making, particularly in institutional cultures which do not actively support child participation. Seminar 3 will focus on methodological issues around facilitating children's participation, including approaches to children as researchers. Seminar 4 will consider the discourse and notions of the 'cross-cultural' - perhaps better expressed as the terms of cultural engagement and representation of difference - that have emerged in the course of previous seminars. The seminar series will be multi-disciplinary, bringing together Schools of Education (University of East Anglia; Birmingham) with the Centre for Development Studies (Leeds) and NGOs working in development. The first seminar will be held at UEA on 2nd./3rd. November 2006. For further details, contact the seminar administrator: libby.allen@uea.ac.uk
