Ombudsman for Children visits school during Wellbeing Week

THE National Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon visited Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Inchicore in February.

Dr Muldoon’s official visit on behalf of the Office of Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) coincided with the school’s Wellbeing Week, where students celebrated four days of self-care, safety and welfare through a range of engaging activities organised by Ms Bourke.

The school student council, comprising of elected officers from each class, met with Dr Muldoon to discuss their rights as children including to have their voices heard, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention explains who children are, all their rights, and the responsibilities of governments to them. All the rights are connected, of equal importance and cannot be taken away from children.

Article 12, for example, outlines how children’s views should be respected.

The children on the Student’s Council told of how they have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them and that teachers should listen and take them seriously.

The Council explained how they have already, democratically, introduced a school tracksuit only uniform, separated yard spaces into football and non-football yards and also encouraged the Parents’ Council to use funding to provide outdoor play materials.

Following on from this meeting, Dr. Muldoon met with 23 newly enrolled children from all corners of the globe and he spoke to them about the differences between their rights in their home countries and their rights in Ireland.

One such difference that Dr Muldoon spoke about was the right to a name, said school principal, David Gough. 

“Dr Muldoon spoke about children coming from African countries who feel the need to assume an Irish name, they have the right to use their own name in Ireland, not to change their name to an Irish or English sounding name,” added Mr Gough.

The children also shared with Dr Muldoon many stories of their time in school in their native countries which include Algeria, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the Congo, Malawi, South Africa, Lithuania, India and Pakistan.

Finally, Dr Muldoon met with the combined sixth classes who had spent time using OCO resources to look at the 42 rights of the child.

The children were very knowledgeable and challenged Dr Muldoon on what he can do next to improve the rights of children in the future.

“Dr Muldoon said he was looking at the housing crisis and the right to have a home, to ensure that children are not living in poverty, that they have a roof over their head,” said Mr Gough.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Gough said that he thought the child’s right to play is perhaps the most important right.

“It’s distinct from any adult right,” he said.

“We ask the Ombudsman to speak to children in the IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) system, as they may not have had that right in their home countries.”

Regarding what he thought was the government’s most important responsibility, Mr Gough said it was the right to an education and that it be free.

“A lot of children around the world wouldn’t have that right,” he said. 

As a thank you, Mr Muldoon invited the Student’s Council for a day visit to the OCO in the city centre.

“We will be going after Easter to the Millenium walkway off Jervis St. and we have then been invited into the office [of Children’s Ombudsman] for an educational session with an educational officer in the OCO,” said Mr Gough.