children and young people report to the UN on their rights - Nova

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cent stated that some pupils at school never left <strong>the</strong>m in peace. In o<strong>the</strong>rwords friends do not provide sufficient protection.A majority of pupils also <strong>report</strong>ed being on good terms with <strong>the</strong>irteacher, <strong>and</strong> many mentioned examples of situations or teachers <strong>the</strong>y werehappy with. But <strong>the</strong>y also <strong>report</strong>ed wide differences between teachers <strong>and</strong>unfair treatment of pupils by teachers. The difficulties of rectifyingcircumstances <strong>the</strong>y were not happy with were pointed out. They felt boththat <strong>the</strong>ir voice was not heard <strong>and</strong> that criticism was not well received.There were fairly large variations from one municipality <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> next asregards pupils' co-determination at school. Between 43 per cent <strong>and</strong> 83 percent were of <strong>the</strong> opinion that <strong>the</strong>y received good tuition in co-determination<strong>and</strong> participation. Between about 61 per cent <strong>and</strong> 76 per cent consideredthat <strong>the</strong> teachers encourage pupils <strong>to</strong> participate in <strong>the</strong> work of <strong>the</strong> pupils'council. Between about 50 per cent <strong>and</strong> 90 per cent or more said <strong>the</strong>y‘agreed completely or <strong>to</strong> some extent’ that <strong>the</strong> pupils' council wielded largeinfluence or that its voice was at least heard. In general it can be said that<strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> desired a say in decision-making, <strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong>school went some way <strong>to</strong>wards complying, but not as far as <strong>the</strong> pupilsdesired.The pupils' answers showed that teachers play a key role in facilitatingtuition in <strong>and</strong> practice of <strong>children</strong>'s rights, <strong>and</strong> it is clear from <strong>the</strong> aboveparagraph that many teachers are doing a good job on this front. Even so <strong>the</strong>pupils' answers indicated that fortui<strong>to</strong>usness ? or <strong>the</strong> individual teacher'spersonal motivation played <strong>to</strong>o great a part in whe<strong>the</strong>r or not pupils receivedtuition in democratic processes, in whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong> stage was set for afunctioning pupil democracy <strong>and</strong> whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong>y were treated withrespect. The pupils pointed out that <strong>the</strong>ir personal commitment was alsoneeded if pupil democracy was <strong>to</strong> work.Chapter 4, Discrimination <strong>and</strong> unfair treatmentA large majority of <strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> did not believe <strong>the</strong>y weresubjected <strong>to</strong> discrimination or unfair treatment at school. Given <strong>the</strong> fact thatmost, by far, of <strong>the</strong> pupils who <strong>to</strong>ok part in <strong>the</strong> survey were born in Norwayof Norwegian parents, this is not a surprising finding. To a specific questionon who, in <strong>the</strong> event, perpetrated <strong>the</strong> discrimination, several pupils said <strong>the</strong>ywere subjected <strong>to</strong> unfair treatment by pupils <strong>and</strong> teachers alike. Between 33per cent <strong>and</strong> 76 per cent said that <strong>the</strong>y were never treated unfairly by– Children <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> <strong>report</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>UN</strong> on <strong>the</strong>ir rights – 59
teachers. Several municipalities were struck by <strong>the</strong> fact that from 10 <strong>to</strong> 14 percent felt unfairly treated by teachers two <strong>to</strong> three times a month or more.Children <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> of both Norwegian <strong>and</strong> minority backgroundexpressed <strong>the</strong> view that some discrimination was on grounds ofethnicity. In <strong>the</strong> present survey as in many o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong>with a non-Norwegian ethnic background said <strong>the</strong>y were very happy atschool, even though <strong>the</strong>y <strong>report</strong>ed, more often than <strong>the</strong>ir Norwegiancounterparts, that <strong>the</strong>y were not left in peace <strong>and</strong> were subjected <strong>to</strong> discrimination.Based on <strong>the</strong> qualitative interviews, <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> may appear <strong>to</strong> havetaken over <strong>the</strong> wider society's critical gaze on <strong>the</strong>mselves. When <strong>report</strong>ingexperiences of discrimina<strong>to</strong>ry or unfair treatment, <strong>the</strong>y often added commentssuch as "I'm not playing ghet<strong>to</strong>, by <strong>the</strong> way!" They levelled a similarlycritical gaze at o<strong>the</strong>rs with o<strong>the</strong>r ethnic origins. "We think like that ourselves,that foreigners make trouble!" Some highlighted bullying between differentimmigrant groups, a problem that has received little attention in Norway.A group that arouses particular concern is refugee <strong>and</strong> asylum-seeking<strong>children</strong>. Not many such <strong>children</strong> participated in <strong>the</strong> present survey, butfrom Alta in <strong>the</strong> north <strong>to</strong> S<strong>and</strong>nes in <strong>the</strong> south <strong>the</strong>y <strong>to</strong>ld of an absence offriends <strong>and</strong> inclusion, <strong>the</strong> discomfort of being placed in a separate class atschool, <strong>the</strong> feeling of being deliberately excluded from <strong>the</strong> society at large bylack of transport <strong>to</strong> leisure activities, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> sense of poverty <strong>and</strong> of living inconditions far poorer than those enjoyed by o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong>in Norway. This is serious feedback.Bullying is seen as a widespread problem at Norwegian primary schools.Like its predecessors, <strong>the</strong> present survey confirmed that bullying takes placeon a substantial scale. 52 <strong>and</strong> 67 per cent in two municipalities respectively<strong>report</strong>ed that <strong>the</strong>y had been subjected <strong>to</strong> no bullying whatsoever, whilebetween 7 <strong>and</strong> 8 per cent <strong>report</strong>ed being bullied two <strong>to</strong> three times a monthor more. The respondents considered that dem<strong>and</strong>s for a s<strong>to</strong>p <strong>to</strong> be put <strong>to</strong>bullying <strong>and</strong> for bullying <strong>to</strong> have visible consequences in <strong>the</strong> form ofpenalties, expulsion or o<strong>the</strong>r sanctions, should be effectively enforced.Children <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> expressed <strong>the</strong> view that differentialtreatment of boys <strong>and</strong> girls was frequent. Specifically, <strong>the</strong> boys thought girlswere treated better <strong>and</strong> faced laxer requirements in a number of areas. It wasnot clear whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> girls agreed with <strong>the</strong>se assessments <strong>and</strong>, if so, whe<strong>the</strong>r<strong>the</strong>y regarded such discrimination as positive or negative.60– NOVA Report 2b/08 –
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Children and <stro
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NOVA - Norwegian Social Research is
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would also like to
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6- NOVA Report 2b/08 -
Page 9 and 10: such source is Norway’s ratificat
Page 11 and 12: NOVA’s analyses are based on <str
Page 13 and 14: 2 Awareness of the
Page 15 and 16: home and t
Page 17 and 18: The best interests of the</
Page 19 and 20: was about. While some linked <stron
Page 21 and 22: • At home: Decisions concerning <
Page 23 and 24: answered war, orphanhood, child lab
Page 25 and 26: It will be seen that a large majori
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Page 29 and 30: preoccupied with the</stron
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Page 33 and 34: a progress plan. Othe</stro
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Page 37 and 38: Table 9. Have you been subjected <s
Page 39 and 40: I often feel that it's because of <
Page 41 and 42: It appeared that the</stron
Page 43 and 44: Are boys and girls
Page 45 and 46: Far fewer reported
Page 47 and 48: It’s not easy, people</st
Page 49 and 50: cent, while more than 90 per cent i
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Page 55 and 56: What improvements can be made <stro
Page 57 and 58: General optimism• I think I've go
Page 59: eported the same.
Page 63 and 64: without doubt be improved. The surv
Page 65: The municipal report</stron
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