ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP AND YOUNG PEOPLE

That this House believes that it is vital that people, including children, should be encouraged to be active citizens and play a part in the democratic life of the country by expressing their views on matters of public interest to decision-makers; recalls Clause 22 of the Declaration of the UN World Summit for Children, which calls upon governments to actively consult with young people about issues which concern them; recalls the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls upon its signatories to disseminate that document widely 'principally in schools'; notes that 1999 is a special anniversary of the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when the United Kingdom will have to report on its progress in implementing the Convention; is concerned that an increasing vocationalisation of education in schools may impair the function of education in developing the creative talents of young people and their holistic growth; regrets the failure of successive governments to introduce measures to promote education in schools with a global perspective as well as measures to promote greater consultation with young people about decisions which affect them; and urges Her Majesty's Government to remedy the present situation, by actively consulting groups which work with young people to encourage the participation of young people in civic affairs, by introducing education in schools about active citizenship, and by bearing in mind the goal of allowing children to 'sing freely' when developing education policy.