blog.gov.je“There should be no discussion about us – without us.” Those words, spoken by a young person, capture the spirit of World Children’s Day and the work happening in Jersey right now, writes Elaine Walker, Associate Director of Engagement, Participation and Communication in CYPES.
This World Children’s Day, (20 November) UNICEF is calling on the world to actively listen to children – to understand their lives and uphold their right to participate in decisions that affect them.
In Jersey, we’re answering that call through the School Council Network, a structured, student forum that doesn’t just echo young voices – it amplifies them where decisions are made.
Representatives from primary and secondary schools meet six times a year to share ideas, debate priorities, and feed their discussions directly into government consultation processes. These meetings, held at Highlands College, are led by CYPES Participation and Engagement, giving students a tangible sense that their views are welcomed in spaces where policies take shape.
After network meetings, students are encouraged to go back to their schools to ensure all students voices are being heard, especially the seldom heard, through class discussion, assemblies and suggestion boxes.
Policy makers, civil servants, Ministers, charities, and community groups attend – not to tick boxes, but to listen. It’s embedded in the Children, Young People and Families Plan, monitored by the Children’s Outcomes Executive Committee, and supported by training for students on rights, participation, how to present proposals, and yes there’s a little healthy debate too.
What Are Students Saying?
Students shared their views with the Children’s Outcomes Executive Committee on how the Government can help all children to have the best life possible.
Last term, students identified three priorities:
- More places to play
- Cheaper healthy food
- Free clubs and activities
And they didn’t just name problems – they proposed solutions. From co-designing the Millennium Town Park playground to questioning housing policy and shaping healthy eating initiatives, students are influencing real decisions.
What Have Students Been Doing?
Here’s a glimpse of the topics and projects that have taken centre stage at last term’s School Council Network meetings:
Co-Designing the New Playground at Millennium Town Park: Students were invited into the design process – not just to give opinions, but to collaborate. Their feedback shaped what the space will look like and how it will feel for children who actually use it.
Tasting and Testing the Hot School Meal Pilot: They tested and tasted the food, but they also critiqued the menus and gave honest feedback to improve rollout.
Designing Their Own Logo and Mission Statement: Students created their own logo and mission statement that reflects their values: voice, action, and community.
Vaping Prevention Campaign: From concept to creation, secondary students took part in designing a hard-hitting advertising campaign with Public Health aimed at tackling vaping in schools.
Sharing School Priorities: Each school council presented its key focus areas and ideas to the full network. This open platform sparked conversations and collaborations across schools.
200 Questions and Answers to Ministers via Slido: Students submitted over 200 questions through live Q&A — on play, cost of living, education, housing and more. Ministers responded directly, sparking accountability and dialogue.
Workshops on the Cost of Food: Exploring food prices and the cost of living. Students learned money saving tips and how to shop around with the Consumer Council.
Activities and Questions on Housing in Jersey: Students explored the housing crisis and questioned the Housing Minister directly, offering insight and expressing urgent concerns about affordability and future options for young people and engagement with Andium Homes.
Jersey’s School Council Network is showing that when students are given structure, support, and actual influence. They don’t just participate. They lead.
Read more in their annual report: School Council Network Feedback Report 2024 to 2025
Why Does This Matter?
One of the most remarkable aspects of the School Council Network is how it connects students with government decision-making in real time. Ministers attend sessions not just to tick boxes, but to listen.
Success isn’t just policy change. It’s the Year 6 student who said: “I thought no one would listen. But they responded. They gave us feedback.”
Or the sixth-former who said: “I’ve never attended the School Council Network – it is everything I ever imagined.”
Take play: students were involved in the redesign of Millenium Town Park playground. Their ideas and suggestions weren’t just noted, they were escalated to the Children’s Outcomes Executive Committee, made up of Ministers and policy makers. Students were invited to the opening of the new park and congratulated by the Ministers attending.
Having heard their views on play, the Jersey Development Company presented the proposals for Fort Regent to the School Council Network and engagement is continuing with an exciting activity planned next month.
On housing, the students weren’t shy to question the Minister. They questioned the Government’s housing policy and took part in engagement activity with Andium Homes.
When the Minister for Children and Families attends to answer questions or the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning responds to proposals from the students with the same respect they would afford any professional stakeholder, something shifts.
That’s when students realise: their opinions matter.
Over the past year, guided by the Corporate Parenting Board, children in care and care leavers have also played a vital role in shaping the services that support them. Engagement has grown significantly, digital participation has doubled, and their priorities, such as financial education, transition support, and an enhanced Care Leaver Offer, have directly informed improvements, including the Independent Living Skills Pilot and strengthened accommodation pathways.
Children’s Participation in Decision-Making
Jersey’s journey in child participation is relatively new, so it was interesting to attend an insightful conference on this subject, earlier this year.
The international conference, hosted by the Irish Government, focused on the meaningful participation of children and young people in decisions that affect their lives.
The event brought together representatives from jurisdictions around the world to share experiences, challenges, and innovations in creating systems that elevate young voices. It was attended by Professor Laura Lundy, an international expert on children’s rights and child and youth participation and author of the widely used Lundy model of child participation.
CYPES launched Participation Standards for children and young people in 2022. Good participation of children and young people goes beyond just giving them a voice. It is a process that includes children and young people from start to finish.
It involves children and young people being actively listened to and supported to express their views.
Children and young people have a right to be listened to under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Giving children a young people a voice was a recommendation of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry to ensure that their voices are heard in relation to all matters affecting their lives, including the development of government and service policy.
One of the most memorable moments engaging with children and young people themselves was one saying: “There should be no discussion about us – without us.”
Their insights are sharp, honest, and filled with wisdom. Good participation isn’t just about inviting young people into the room – it’s about making sure they are heard, respected, and that their contributions lead to change – which is the change we are seeing in Jersey.