Participation in the early years

Pupil participation lies at the heart of learning 'citizenship through experience'.
(Education for Citizenship in Scotland, 2002)

The National Care Standards stress how important it is to involve children in decisions about their care, their learning and the service they experience in early years services. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act (2000) puts a duty on schools to consult children on important issues.

Seeking and responding to children’s views as well as regularly involving them in decisions about their learning and care has long been a feature of good practice in the early years. This approach has been extended to staff working to develop creative strategies and materials to engage with young children in meaningful participation throughout all areas of their practice. Education for citizenship encourages approaches which invite the participation of all children in areas such as development planning, decisions about service delivery and organisation as well as input into the content and evaluation of activities.

The Scottish Government is committed to listening to children and young people’s views. The office of Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People works to publicise and survey the extent that organisations in Scotland successfully uphold children’s rights and involve them in having a say in matters which affect them. The SCCYP website has a section on participation resources for early years and provides useful links to key documents.