I hope you enjoy this issue of my quarterly e-news. Inside you'll find links to my latest reports, briefs, submissions and other advocacy resources.
Thursday 26 September 2024
Issue 10
Dear Colleagues,
I am sure you'll agree that Third Term has gone quickly! The Youth Period Summit on Tuesday 3 September was very well attended with over 100 young people who are passionate about this important gender equity issue in attendance. Hosted by members of the Period Justice Working Group it was an evening of information sharing and ideas for future actions. Five SA SRC campaigns were officially launched with position briefs and petitions for each made available to key stakeholders and decision makers. SA SRC members from each group stepped up to be spokespeople for media with great publicity for each of the campaigns achieved.
I very much enjoyed meeting with young people in Whyalla this term. I also met with Mayors from Spencer Gulf. This gave me a good insight into some of the issues young people are facing in this region and their ideas for change. There have been a number of important submissions this quarter including on the importance of using pill testing and harm reduction strategies to more effectively manage young people's safety in relation to recreational drug use. I released two major reports this term. Friendship and Belonging examines what young people say about the importance of having good friends, and Everyday Racism looks at the impact 'casual' racism has on SA refugee and migrant young people across our community. I'm very much looking forward to reviewing the postcards that have been arriving in their thousands over the past couple of weeks. A big thank you to all schools who have supported their students to participate this year. I look forward to reviewing entries for my Space to Dream Digital Challenge, which I know will include amazingly creative and future focused ideas from students across the State.
Featured News
SA SRC Campaign Position Briefs
Members of the SA SRC have been working hard on their campaigns for student-led change. They have achieved significant metro and regional publicity and have met with key stakeholders to gain momentum for each of the five campaigns.
More than 100 passionate young people along with key stakeholders and interested educators gathered together to discuss ways to continue raising awareness in relation to periods and menstruation and the barriers that stand in the way of achieving period justice.
As part of their five campaigns, members of the South Australian Student Representative Council are asking for your help to get more signatures on their petitions, so they can present them to Parliament. Use the link below to sign and share with others you know who are passionate about youth voice and student-led change.
Read this term's summary of what Commissioner Connolly has been busy with over the last three months, connecting and engaging with SA children, young people, and adult stakeholders on issues relating to her advocacy work. Read more
Submissions | Briefs | Reports
Friendship and Belonging
Making and keeping friends is extremely important to children and young people. Although children and young people often want adults to stay out of their friendships, they also appreciate learning how to be a supportive friend and how they to tell when a friendship is not working including what to do about it.
This snapshot summary provides 6 practical and thoughtful ideas on ways that kids want politicians, government policy makers and civics leaders to heed. South Australia's youngest citizens have provided a roadmap for ways they suggest building a better more child friendly state.
Listening to LGBTQIA+ Young People Launched for Wear It Purple Day, this snapshot summary looks back on the large surveys conducted by the CCYP zooming in on the responses from LGBTQIA+ young people. Hear their thoughts and feelings in relation to relationships and sexual health education, periods, sport, work and public transport.
Throughout their lives, children and young people will meet many adults in helping roles. This guide provides helpful tips for how to genuinely engage with children and young people to ensure organisations and individual adult helpers are providing truly child focused care.
This report summarises findings from the Commissioner's Student Voice Postcards completed in 2023 analysing responses from more than 18,328 children aged 8-12 years attending 347 Government, Catholic and Independent schools throughout South Australia. Key insights include children's feelings about school, the outdoors and how grownups need to spend more time playing with them!
Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 which states that adults must protect children from violence. However, legislation in Australia still allows parents to use physical punishment to discipline their children, putting us out of step with the majority of nations around the world who are are signatories to the UNCRC.
Submission on potential reform to South Australia's knife laws
The Commissioner has raised significant concerns about proposed changes to knife laws that will disproportionately impact children and young people who are already experiencing discrimination and marginalisation. She is asking the government to consider alternative, evidence-based approaches to community safety that listen to and value children and young people's views and experiences.
Submission on the draft Children and Young People (Safety and Support) Bill
The Commissioner has identified opportunities for this Bill to go further to support children and families earlier and prevent contact with the statutory child protection system, including by ensuring the best interests of the child are paramount, and by strengthening and embedding principles of participation and early prevention throughout the legislation.
Submission on the South Australian Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2024-2030
While the Commissioner welcomes a number of draft actions that seek to support children, young people and families, this submission highlights further opportunities to invest in pill testing and broader coordinated public health responses that focus on harm reduction and early intervention.
Commissioner's 2024 Student Voice Postcards Due by end of Term 3/early Term 4.
Commissioner Connolly is looking forward to reading postcards sent to her from primary school children in years 2 - 6 telling her what matters to them most.
Click on the image to play this cute 50 second animation!
Grants | Initiatives
2024 Early Years Postcards
The Commissioner's 2024 Early Years Postcards initiative which extends her Student Voice Postcards to preschoolers is running throughout Term 4. Preschoolers are being asked to drawn their favourite thing about being outside. Early Educators please download the pack and support your preschoolers to participate!