ABSTRACT
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN 1990) asserts that the child has the right to express his or her opinion in all matters affecting him/her. This theme has, in recent years, gained prominence in Scotland. The Children (Scotland) Act (Scottish Offi ce 1995) emphasised that children have participation rights in relation to the decision-making process which affect them as individuals. These participation rights have now been extended by the Standards in Schools (Scotland) Act (SEED 2000a) to cover rights in relation to school development and education authority plans which impact upon the young person’s quality of life. This focus upon taking into account children’s views is now high on the social and educational agenda. Promoting the participation of young people in decision making has been an evolving process in Scotland and this can best be illustrated by considering briefl y the Scottish context and in particular some practice which has impacted upon the process.
