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Post by Chips on May 10, 2008 11:03:58 GMT 9.5
Let the children play
The story about young people being banned from shopping centres during school hours ("School uniforms banned in shops", May 8) raises concerns about attitudes towards children and young people in shared community spaces.
One of the consistent issues children raise is their concern about negative adult attitudes towards them while using public spaces, such as shopping malls, in the course of their daily business.
While legally private property, malls are seen as community space that fulfil important social as well as commercial functions and need to be equally accessible to everyone in the community.
We know attending school is important to children's wellbeing, and positive community efforts encourage young people to stay engaged with their school environments.
However, too often social attitudes discourage young people from using public spaces. These are often justified by an anticipation of wrongdoing, and it is usually this assumption that makes children feel less entitled to use these facilities than other members of the community.
This discrimination reinforces simplistic and negative stereotypes depicting children as doing something wrong even when they, like the majority of adults using this space, are simply going about their business.
Gillian Calvert
NSW Commissioner for Children
and Young People
Sydney
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Post by clifftimmons on May 10, 2008 12:15:41 GMT 9.5
I don't think it's the Shop-keeper's job to watch other's children.
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Post by Chips on May 10, 2008 15:30:50 GMT 9.5
Plus that here in Australia, senior students can have free periods.
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