Nursery World - Children get say on smacking

A little green alien called Splodge has been recruited to help children aged four to six in Northern Ireland to have their say about physical punishment in the home. The Northern Ireland Executive has enrolled the three-foot-tall character to help encourage young children across the province to give their views freely on the subject. The consultation is being carried out for the Executive by the Office of Law Reform.

The Northern Ireland Executive has enrolled the three-foot-tall character to help encourage young children across the province to give their views freely on the subject. The consultation is being carried out for the Executive by the Office of Law Reform.

At the consultation's launch in Belfast last week, finance and personnel minister Mark Durkan described the current law relating to physical punishment of children in the home as 'inadequate' and said he wanted to ensure children in the Province had an opportunity to have their say on this issue 'in a new and meaningful way'.

He stressed that children were central to this issue, and that their views and opinions were 'a very important part of the process and will contribute towards a more informed and thoughtful debate'. Mr Durkan added, 'Policy made without consultation is like watching the TV with the sound turned down. It's only when we consult that we turn the sound up and hear what people really have to say.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included