A school bus has started operating in Novopolotsk on the initiative of the city's children's parliament

A school bus has started operating in Novopolotsk on the initiative of the city's children's parliament, Svetlana Drozdova, head of the education department of the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee, told a BELTA correspondent.

During morning rush hours, it was difficult for parents with young children and schoolchildren to get from the new residential area, which currently lacks a school and kindergarten, to their places of study. The young parliamentarians, heads of educational institutions, and the city administration held consultations and proposed that the bus fleet launch a bus on a specially designed route that includes two gymnasiums, a lyceum, and several kindergartens. The special bus "Shkolnik" (Schoolchild) departs from the residential area twice in the morning to ensure that children can make it to their classes by 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM.

As Svetlana Drozdova noted, this is not the only initiative of the children's parliament supported by the local authorities. The children are actively implementing social projects aimed at helping their peers in orphanages and assisting children with disabilities.

The parliament of children and youth was elected two years ago as part of the implementation of the initiative "City Friendly to Children" by the republican representation of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which Novopolotsk joined. The children's parliament helps implement one of the cornerstone requirements of the "City Friendly to Children" initiative – to promote the active participation of youth in solving problems that concern them. It is worth noting that with the help of adults, the young parliamentarians strive not only to identify problems but also to find solutions, and to understand the intricacies of price formation. Specialists are often invited to the parliament's meetings.

The UNICEF "Child-Friendly City" initiative is a tool that helps to reduce the negative impact of the urban environment on a child's life, while maximizing the opportunities and benefits it offers. Participation in the initiative contributes to the fulfillment at the city level of the obligations undertaken by the country upon signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The "Child-Friendly City" initiative has been implemented for many years in London, Paris, Munich, Buenos Aires, as well as in many other cities in different countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden, and Brazil. The International Secretariat of Child-Friendly Cities was established in 2000 in Italy, based at the Innocenti Institute, which is also a UNICEF research center. The main task of the secretariat is to strengthen the capacity of cities developing in the interests of children by conducting research, exchanging experience and information, and cooperating with authorities, non-profit organizations, and youth movements. All child-friendly cities are united in national and international networks. Currently, 21 cities, including the capital Minsk, are participants in this initiative in Belarus.

BELTA