Children gave prospective MEP candidates a hard time on Friday when they questioned them on various issues as they sought to find the right contender to champion their rights in the European Parliament.

During a Children’s Roundtable organised by the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society at San Anton Palace, prospective EP candidates were quizzed about immigration, accessible healthcare, environmental concerns and bullying, among many other issues.

In all, 13 prospective MEP candidates accepted the invitation to take part in this event – the first such event being held with EP contenders – and the children were well prepared to ensure their concerns were aired.

They said in the case of stranded immigrants at sea politicians should act first and discuss later, and they expected MEPs to stand up against the unfair negative portrayal of immigrants.

Politicians should act first and discuss later

Immigrant children, they believed, should have equal and meaningful access to education and their right to freedom of religion respected.

They also questioned the island’s overdevelopment, the felling of trees, single-use plastics, securing safe public spaces, encouraging renewable energy, having less cars on the road, better teaching methods and banning animal cruelty.

Bullying was also tackled and the children said this affected the victims deeply, eroding their self-confidence and self-esteem. Bullying should be tackled quickly and not ignored by parents and teachers, otherwise it will just get worse.

The children raised the importance of civic education for 16-year-olds who would be voting for the first time, called for a reduction in political partisanship, and stressed the need for better mental health support at a community level.

They also called for efforts to reduce political partisanship, the promotion of objective and un-biased information and keeping children informed as to what is happening in Malta through an accessible media news update targeting the younger generations.

The youngsters contended that educators needed to look at the individual needs of each student and teach children in more creative ways rather than just in a classroom and that subjects taught at school should be more closely tied with real-life situations that children will come across in their lives.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has recently been nominated to be an honorary member of Eurochild for her commitment to children’s rights.

The event comes just weeks after the EP President appointed Anna Maria Corazza-Bildt as its new coordinator for children’s rights, a move that was welcomed by the foundation as it ensured the promotion, respect and safeguarding of children’s rights in all EP policy and legislation.

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