Children want adults to listen to their opinions, respond with sympathy and help them in exercise their right to participation.

Representatives of children in 10 provinces and cities have sent out their messages at a dialogue with policy-makers and officials working in child-related areas, in Hanoi on November 21.

The dialogue is part of a forum on promoting children’s right to participation that took place in Hanoi on November 20 and 21 by the Vietnam Association for Protection of the Rights of the Child and Save the Children-Vietnam organisation.

The young participants also wished to be allowed to contribute their opinions on child-related issues to State agencies. They called for further changes in the educational programme to let children have more time for other activities and more investment in building new educational, medical and entertainment facilities.

The Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children Ngo Thi Minh said that the committee will take into account the children’s proposals in policy-making and the implementation of child-related action programmes.