Resources
Greening Our Canteens Campaign Position Brief
Members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) want all South Australian schools to be environmentally sustainable. This includes improving the waste and recycling practices of their school canteen to reduce food waste going to landfill and...
Seeing Ourselves Campaign Position Brief
Members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) want all South Australian schools to regularly undertake a review of their policies, curriculum, co-curricular groups and staff, to ensure they embrace diversity and inclusiveness. Importantly,...
Free Fares for Our Future Campaign Position Brief
Members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) want all South Australian high school students to have freeaccess to public transport. Affordable, reliable, and safe transport is critical to young people’s participation, inclusion, and...
Fitness for Free Campaign Position Brief
Members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) want South Australian high school students to be granted free access to swimming pools, gyms, leisure centres and fitness classes. Getting active and interacting with others helps young people...
The need for a system response to harmful sexual behaviours in children
Harmful sexual behaviour observed in children is a taboo subject. No-one wants to talk about these behaviours when they see them in their own child, or others, with many parents, carers, teachers and service providers unsure how best to respond. The Commissioner...
Responding to Vaping at School: Approaches that Work
Vaping is something that is occurring in the context of our broader society. More needs to be done to counter online advertising and social media content around vaping, as well as introducing stronger public health messaging around the risks of vaping and its...
What young people need to know about relationships and positive mental and sexual health
This Position Brief outlines what young South Australians want when it comes to relationships and sexual and mental health education. In 2023, the Commissioner asked South Australian students in Years 10, 11 & 12 what they needed to feel supported in their...
Why investing in school camps, field trips and excursions is good for students — Anti-Poverty Week
The benefits of active and immersive experiences are well understood, which is why many schools offer them. They provide students with a rich variety of activities outside the school setting, placing them in different environments that promote their participation...
Developing a ‘Fit for Purpose’ mental health crisis care system for a 21st century children and young people
Despite increased awareness-raising around mental health, and improving access to quality mental health information, children and young people continue to face significant challenges in maintaining their wellbeing and mental health. When children and young people...
Building Youth-Friendly Local Communities
To build a strong state where young people can be confident, connected, and creative, the adults in their lives need to find ways to involve them more in their local communities. This includes engaging young people as capable citizens, facilitating their...
Public Libraries
This Position Brief outlines how the Commissioner urges the Commonwealth, State and Local authorities to invest in public libraries. Public libraries have unique value to children and young people, both to inspire them to read and to provide them with a safe and...
Missing Voices: Cost of living pressures as described by primary school children
As part of ongoing work ensuring that all South Australian children and young people have a voice, the Commissioner released a series of booklets highlighting key issues as raised by children through the Commissioner's Student Voice Postcards initiative. This is a...
Building Period Positive Sports Clubs
It is essential that young players are treated with dignity and respect, especially when it comes to matters of reproductive health and menstruation. This is essential to ensuring that young people who are menstruating feel supported so they can continue to...
Health, Wellbeing and Physical Activity: The Perspectives of Children and Young People
Australian children are among the least active in the world. A recent study found that only 18% of Australian children aged 5–17 years are getting the 60 minutes of daily physical activity they need to lead a healthy lifestyle. Throughout 2021 and 2022 the...
Becoming a Child Friendly Sports Club
Social and competitive sports are how a large portion of South Australian children and young people choose to spend their free time. It is vital that sporting clubs and organisations provide inclusive and child-friendly environments to ensure fair and equitable...
LGBTQIA+ Inclusive School Environments
The time spent at school and in school-based activities means it is one of the most critical environments in young people’s lives. When we make a commitment to providing child-friendly and child safe environments for children and young people we must follow through...
The Things That Matter to Children
Through the Commissioner’s Student Voice Postcard initiative South Australian primary school aged children have consistently said that there are four things that matter to them more than most. Not surprisingly one of these is the environment. Another is school and...
What Young People Have Told Us About…Periods, Relationships, and their Sexual Health Education
Since 2017, SA Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly has spoken with thousands of South Australian kids to find out what they think are the most important issues of our time. The following fact sheets present their views and ideas in relation...
SA Young People’s Current Experiences of Relationship and Sexual Health Education
In a recent survey of 1,225 young South Australians between the ages of 12 and 22, the vast majority want sex education in schools to move beyond puberty, anatomy and the prevention of pregnancy and diseases, and instead focus on teaching them about the current...
What Young People Have Told Us About…
Since 2017, SA Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly has spoken with thousands of South Australian kids to find out what they think are the most important issues of our time. The following fact sheets present their views and ideas in relation...
Conscious Cities: Wellbeing Infrastructure
Young people have given us clear direction around what they need to relax, play and engage in leisure activities. They have told us they want wellbeing infrastructure that supports them to be connected, confident and creative. When their passions are showcased and...
Knowing Your Rights to Protection at Work
You have the right to PROTECTION AT WORK! To be paid the right amount of money.To not be asked to do work that might be harmful to you in some way.For work not to get in the way of school.To make sure you are not doing too many hours.
Knowing Your Rights to Play
You have the right to PLAY! To play and to rest.To participate freely in cultural life.To engage in artistic expression and creativity.To do recreational activities like sport or dance.
School Uniforms
School uniforms. Some people love them; some people hate them. Their desirability has been discussed at length, with cost; practicality; and their ability to influence academic performance traditionally at the centre of the debate. While these issues still feature...
Manage Your Sharenting
A new baby. A toddler taking their first steps. A child’s first day at school. A teenager getting their driver’s licence or securing their first job. All amazing milestones in a young person’s life worthy of much celebration! Often, proud parents will try to...
The Impact of the Religious Discrimination Bill 2019
The Commissioner for Children and Young People believes that the draft Religious Discrimination Bill 2019 goes against what children and young people have told the Commissioner they want from today’s society and institutions. They have said that what they want most...
Conversations with children and young people living with a disability
It’s clear that given the opportunity, children and young people living with a disability are keen to express their views about what matters to them most. They also wish to express their hopes for the future and where they think change could happen. This collection...
