Children's democratic participation: The case of Catalan schools from the principal's point of view

• Published in: The Review of education/pedagogy/cultural studies 2021-01, Vol.43 (1), p.1-26
• Main Authors: Torremorell, Maria-Carme Boqué, García-Raga, Laura, Alguacil de Nicolás, Montserrat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administrator Attitudes; Children; Childrens Rights; Civil Rights; Controversial Issues (Course Content); Decision Making; Democracy; Elementary Schools; Foreign Countries; Geographic Regions; Governance; International Law; Political Attitudes; Political participation; Preschool Education; Principals; Self Determination; Student Participation; Teaching Methods; Treaties; Voting
• ISSN: 1071-4413; 1556-3022
• DOI: 10.1080/10714413.2020.1796174

The demand for a significant advance in democracy that allows greater civic participation takes place in different countries and historical times. In Catalonia, the process toward self-determination shakes the social and political debate from 2010 to the present day, when the population feels that their rights are being curtailed and begins to show their discomfort with massive and peaceful demonstrations that influence the political forces. Since late 2017, the struggle for self-government has intensified and schools have been involved in this process in a twofold way: by serving as polling stations in the referendum held on October 1, 2017, which was not approved by the Spanish government, and by being accused of childhood indoctrination due to pupil involvement. As representatives of the school, principals need to take a sensible position in controversial issues, which is not easy when antagonistic values are at stake. The question the authors would like to approach here is how Catalan schools currently undertake child participation, according to the principal's point of view, in order to discern what actions would be necessary to encourage children's governance both in school and in society. This examination offers a comprehensive framework for encouraging children's participation in the co-creation and governance of the society in which they live--since the decisions that are taken today affect them fully--the results of the survey for principals serve as the basis for further debate on the right of children as a group--generally invisible--to participate in the governance of the school and its impact on the democratic quality of our societies.