TEENAGERS HAVE called on the Government to lengthen the Leaving Cert cycle to three years and to reduce the Junior Cert cycle to two years. They have also called for a new law to regulate the use of altered advertisements and images in magazines and other media.
The recommendations were made at the ninth Dáil na nÓg, held in Croke Park yesterday. About 200 delegates aged 12-18 years discussed and voted on recommendations for action on access to education and mental health. Dáil na nÓg meets once a year and its delegates are elected by their local Comhairle na nÓgs, set up by city and county development boards around the country.
After a debate on body image, the delegates voted in favour of introduction of a law which would state that all altered advertisements or images must carry a symbol and text, indicating the modifications. Delegates said this would show people that the airbrushed images of models and celebrities were not normal, and would reduce the pressure on teenagers to have perfect bodies.
Carol Nagle (17), from Ennistymon, Co Clare, said young people were being bombarded by images of perfect celebrities every time they opened a magazine. She said children must be given positive ideas about body image from primary school upwards, to counteract this.“If you keep repeating it, that it’s OK, you don’t have to go on a diet, you don’t have to be like celebrities who just don’t eat to stay skinny, it will sink in,” she said.
The teenagers also called on the Department of Education to provide adequate funding for a designated person, not directly involved in teaching, to offer confidential advice and support to promote positive mental health.
Dáil na nÓg delegates said Government departments should set up and fund a group to educate second- and fifth-year students in schools and youth clubs about depression and suicide. They also called for a national book rental scheme for all secondary schools. They also recommended the introduction of classes on motivation, confidence-building and exam pressures, delivered by an outsider to the school.
The importance of having good relationships and of sexuality education (RSE) classes was stressed by Dáil na nÓg council member Sheelan Yousefizadeh (18), from Beaumont, Dublin. In recent months, she was involved in surveying the views of more than 200 young people on the provision of RSE in their schools.
She said most people in first to third year were getting RSE through the social, personal and health education (SPHE) course, but “barely anybody” was getting this education in the senior years of post-primary education, and this was shocking. Schools were blaming exam pressure and busy timetables as an excuse for not providing these classes.
Daisy Kate Delaney (16) from Athy, Co Kildare, said SPHE classes were the ideal place to highlight issues such as depression, suicide and bullying. She said homophobic bullying was a real problem in schools. Dáil na nÓg council member Joe Bradley (17) from Wicklow said he became involved in Dáil na nÓg “almost by accident”, but it had been a fantastic experience.
“It shows young people that they have a voice and they can be listened to,” he said.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews attended the day-long meeting, and said he and the Government were committed to listening to the views of young people and ensuring that they were included in decision-making.
He said it was very clear that, when young people had the confidence to articulate their concerns, they could have an impact on policy. Mr Andrews drew laughs from delegates when he said he intended to introduce some facets of Dáil na nÓg to Dáil Éireann, such as singing Happy Birthday to deputies on their birthdays.
