Pupils from Göttschied elementary school brought a 'children's rights umbrella' back from last year's Democracy Day in Ingelheim. At the suggestion of council member Frank Schnadhorst, who also took part in Democracy Day as Chairman of the Staff Council at the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education, the umbrella has now been handed over to Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf by the children. It will now be on permanent display in the city administration and propagate the protection of children's rights.
As a model school for participation and democracy, Göttschied Primary School supports and guarantees the co-determination and realization of ideas by its pupils and parents. The active participation of the children is firmly anchored in the timetable through class councils and the pupil parliament, among other things. This also includes regular attendance at the annual Democracy Day, which is organized by the 'Demokratie gewinnt!
In addition to the children, principal Nicole Bier and the two teachers Janika Lohrig and Lisa Herrmann, who are in charge of the project, came to the town hall meeting room to hand over the umbrella. Here, the pupils, who come from different class levels, first reported on how they had prepared for Democracy Day. The topic was discussed in class, after which umbrellas were labeled with the various children's rights and a choreography with text and dance passages was rehearsed. The children presented the choreography in Ingelheim, after which visitors to Democracy Day were able to leave a message on a large 'children's rights umbrella'.
The children also performed their choreography again before handing over the umbrella to Lord Mayor Frühauf and Michel Schweizer, Head of the Youth Welfare Office. "Many children have it bad, even though they have rights," the pupils explained with regard to the situation of many children around the world. Therefore, all children should symbolically gather under the umbrella so that they are protected by these rights.
Mayor Frühauf was impressed by the pupils' project. "I think it's great how you are tackling this important issue and standing up for children's rights." In order to make this commitment visible to the public, the 'Children's Rights Umbrella' is to be given a permanent place in the public area of the administration building. "The foyer of the Youth Welfare Office is a good place for this, as many families come by with their children and can see the umbrella," explained Michael Schweizer. Frank Schnadhorst emphasized that the elementary school in Göttschied is a model school for participation and democracy. He asked to be allowed to take one of the small umbrellas with him to Mainz to present to Education Minister Stefanie Hubig. Which, of course, he was granted. Finally, Mayor Frühauf offered the children the opportunity to hold their youth parliament in the city council chamber - as an exercise for later political involvement.