Challenges of childrens participation A Case Study of active citizenship in Cadle Primary School
undeveloped, Stephen Law proposes an alternative argument based on studies involving
philosophy with children in several countries 45. He points out that children who were
encouraged to think independently, critically and reflective way and debate about
philosophical questions reveal that these children developed number of skills like `revealing
and questioning underlying assumption` and `taking turns in a debate` and `listening actively
without interrupting`46. Law presumes that these skills cultivate not only the level of maturity
39 James and Prout, p. 8.
40 Alderson, p.131.
41 Helen Brocklehurst, Who`s Afraid of Children: Children, Conflict and International
Relations, (UK: Ashgate, 2006), p. 21.
42 Alderson, p. 118.
43 Alderson, p.118.
44 Alderson, p.58.
45 Law, pp. 36-37.
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in children `but a fair degree of emotional maturity too` 47
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