Minister of Sports and Culture Annika Saarikko demands that adults use responsibly for the benefit of children and young people in the corona crisis. “Adults are now responsible for what happens to the hobbies of children and young people.”
Science- and the Minister of Culture Annika Saarikko (Central) is now at the heart of the corona crisis, with children and young people on the agenda in recent weeks.
Restrictions on children and young people have not been seen as fair. At the same time, there has been talk of the rights of the child and the different symptoms of children and young people due to limitations.
Minister Saarikko states in an interview with HS that only the restrictions observed are relevant. Therefore, decision makers also need to be able to justify restrictions more precisely and better.
Saarikko promises more support to prevent the passivation of young people and, if necessary, also to sports clubs that maintain the activity and community of society.
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“I see the situation in my immediate circle and in the messages I receive.”
The archipelago says he went into politics because of children and young people. Right now, he is particularly worried about them.
“I have two small children myself, and my immediate circle is full of amateur families with children. I see the situation in my immediate circle and in the messages I receive. ”
At the same time, Saarikko and the administration he led have somehow become bystanders in a public tug of war, where the metropolitan area and the government have been verbally fighting over hobby restrictions.
According to Saarikko, the Ministry of Education and Culture has prepared a safe way to implement hobbies. He says that he understands the solution of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to continue hobby activities, but points out that the Helsinki Metropolitan Area has acted independently past the Ministry’s preparatory work.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area decided to open a limited number of recreational facilities for children and young people starting next week. Saarikko says that he knows the situation in which the solution of the leaders of the Helsinki metropolitan area was born.
The Ministry of Education and Culture has received hugely concerned messages about the situation and well-being of children and young people.
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“Restricting schooling for children and young people must be a last resort.”
The metropolitan area According to Saarikko, the decision combined two things: concern about the wild situation on the sports field and concern about the overall welfare situation.
“Government and Mayor Jan Vapaavuori there have probably been at least some differences of opinion and few communication interruptions. I recognize that there is much the same thing in my thinking when Mayor Vapaavuori has stated that restrictions must be proportionate to the length of life of the child and young person to date. For them, one year is truly significant in the unique phase of childhood and adolescence. It is easy for me to agree with this view. ”
Saarikko says that the situation of children and young people has been highlighted as a special issue in the government’s line. The decision-in-principle adopted in October stated that, even in areas where the epidemic is spreading, careful consideration should be given to restrictions on children and young people, reflecting overall well-being.
“The decisions made by the government this week emphasized the principle of adults first, which means that restricting the schooling of children and young people must be a last resort.”
According to Saarikko, the need for political decision-makers to justify their decisions has increased even more as the interest rate crisis has continued, as only those restrictions that people consider reasonable, fair, timely and reasonable are relevant.
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“I urge the metropolitan area to be vigilant every single day and not make mistakes.”
The archipelago says there are two things that cannot be ignored when considering and drafting restrictions. The first is how to talk about long-term restrictions for children and young people. The second is how to remove restrictions on hobby activities.
“I urge the metropolitan area to be vigilant every single day and not make mistakes. The metropolitan area must be able to check its line if errors occur or if cases of the disease begin to appear. I want to trust that the Helsinki Metropolitan Area will recognize this. ”
The archipelago also calls for solidarity. The poorer adults adhere to restrictions and recommendations, the greater the risk that restriction pressures will be passed on to children and adolescents.
“This is my strong message: adults are now responsible for what happens to the hobbies of children and young people. No one is forced to go to the crowded bar. The number of human contacts must be reduced in society as a whole. ”
Saarikko’s assessment of how hobbies can be continued is also influenced by the fact that children and young people are not currently a special risk group for the coronavirus. He scrolls through his papers for a moment and lists the facts.
“Elementary school age [koronaviruksen] the incidence in the primary school age group 7–13 years is well below the total incidence in the population. In 13–15-year-olds, the incidence is mainly below or in the same range as in the general population. The risk of serious illness is low for people under the age of 20, and the risk of death for those under the age of 40 is very low. ”
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“For children and young people, it will take the longest to repair the damage of this pandemic.”
In general there has been frustration in the debate that children and young people have had to bear the brunt of controlling infections, while at the same time the lives of adults have not been as limited.
According to Saarikko, it is fair to acknowledge that policy makers have had a limited set of tools at their disposal. With these prospects, more tools will be included in the kit with the reforms of the Infection Act.
“For children and young people, repairing the damage of this pandemic takes the longest. I’m really worried about the children and young people, “he says.
“At the same time, it must be said that a lot of good has also happened in those families where resources have been sufficient. There has been more leisurely family time and has moved together. However, the mental landscape may have become even gloomier for those children and young people whose home affairs have not been as bright. The biggest risk is associated with an increase in a sedentary lifestyle and growing inequality. ”
Saarikko tells of a friend who wrote that he considered it unfair to have a situation where the family’s wealth has allowed hobby solutions to be sought from the private side, but the situation is different for those who do not have the same financial opportunity.
“We have inadvertently increased inequality through different treatment of public and private space. That’s fair to say out loud. It is also fair to say that the discussion focuses on exercise hobbies. For example, there are 130,000 enthusiasts in Finland in basic art education alone. Scouting is one of the largest hobby groups in Finland. When we talk about hobbies, we also talk about non-exercise. ”
Are the disadvantages of the restrictions outweighed by the benefits of risk management?
“It needs to be reweighed every day and it is related to the evolution of the disease situation. If we fail as a nation in the coming days and weeks, we will be faced with a situation in which we will no longer be discussing restrictions on children and young people, but at worst, a curfew for the entire population. That is why we need to talk about people’s morals and ability to understand the reasons for the restrictions. ”
What does Saarikko think about the fact that the rights of the child have become a stick of political controversy and an instrument of policy-making?
“The latter estimate refute, but first I am pleased. It says that decision makers remember why this work is being done. The aftermath of the epidemic will have the greatest impact on the lives of children and young people. The corona crisis is exceptional, and our era does not know how to manage such a crisis. That’s why we re-evaluate every day whether the right solutions have been made. ”
Saarikko says that a lot has already been done to support children and young people, but if necessary, more support is still promised.
“In addition to supporting the general municipal economy, we have supported the well-being of children and young people with a package of more than EUR 300 million for learning support, learning care and family services. In addition to this, we have, among other things, supported clubs that organize hobby activities. Last week, the Ministerial Group on Child and Youth Policy issued a statement calling on municipalities to ensure that testing and vaccination staff are not out of health care for children and young people. That would be moving the bill to the wrong place. ”
In early autumn Saariko was asked whether the Finnish model of hobby pilot project should be postponed to the future. However, he wanted to promote it with determination.
Now a pilot project is underway in about a hundred municipalities. Its purpose is so that each child can receive a free hobby that takes place in connection with the school day.
Saarikko says it is an achievement that has received too little attention from the current government. Support has already been given to the clubs, but he says the ministry may consider draft amending budgets if more support is needed.
“We are committed in the government to trying to save everything that has the right to continue to function well. Finnish sports clubs as movers of children and young people belong to that group. The clubs maintain activity and community, two important values of society. ”
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source https://pledgetimes.com/corona-restrictions-minister-annika-saarikko-demands-that-adults-use-responsibly-for-the-benefit-of-children-and-young-people-in-the-corona-crisis-adults-are-now-responsible-for-what-happen/
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