TO celebrate Work Children’s Day 2018, the Ombudsman for Children’s Office, hosted ‘Child Talks’ a series of inspiring speeches by young people about their lives.
Grace Murphy, from Skerries, was one of the speakers who took part. Grace spoke about the importance of accessing education not just from the theory perspective but the practical too. She explained the emotional struggles she has and how she overcame her mental health issues to find support in her local community, in school and through her love of sport.
Speaking to a packed City Hall, Grace said: “Every person is an expert in something so try to learn something from every person that you meet.
“This should be brought into our school system for every student’s skills to be valued and displayed on a regular basis.
“For me the best thing to happen in school was TY (Transition Year). TY gave me the breathing space I needed, time to focus on new things and time to focus on things I love. What I’m asking for is to give teachers the training they need in adolescent psychology and give students the chance to learn about themselves, the stuff they love and things that make them happy.
Dr Niall Muldoon said: “As Ombudsman for Children, I have the privilege of hearing directly from young people on a regular basis, through complaints made to the office, when young people come in for children’s rights workshops or when I travel around the country.
“However, we know that most organisations, or most people, do not hear from young people in this way. I am astounded by the bravery of Grace and all of the young people who took part in ‘Child Talks’.”
By telling their stories these young people are showing others how important it is to listen to young people and the meaningful messages they have to tell.
“World Children’s Day is an important opportunity to hear from children from all backgrounds, with different experiences and to take their views on board.”