groups were asked a similar set of questions including general queries about how much knowledge they have of the UNCRC in general and about their right to participate in particular. Specific questions about their opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives in the various focus areas were also put to them (See Appendix II for the full list of questions asked of each group). They were also asked to share their feelings about such opportunities and to recommend ways in which their participation can be improved. At the end of the sessions each group made a brief presentation of their own findings and recommendations to all the groups. They were also asked to provide feedback on the focus group discussions. General discussions were also held with a group of teachers and parents from various schools to assess their knowledge of children’s right to participation. The meeting was held immediately after the children’s focus group discussions where similar questions – based on the said focus areas – were put to them. Findings from this meeting is included in the section ‘Outcome of meeting with parents/teachers’ and in ‘General Attitudes Towards Children’s Participation’. To assess knowledge of and mechanisms for participation available to children in different forms of alternative care, visits were made to the three such institutions currently operating in the Maldives: the Education and Training Centre for Children (ETCC) on the island of Feydhoo Finolhu; the Kudakudhinge Hiya [Children’s Shelter] on the island of Villingili; and the correctional facility on the island of Feydhoo Finolhu. Consultative interviews were conducted with senior officials at all three institutes and individual interviews were also conducted with various children at the facilities in Maafushi and Feydhoo Finolhu during these visits. Questions were asked of the children relating to their right to participation in the institutions as well as about their own knowledge of the right. Limitations and weaknesses All the children who participated in the focus groups are from schools based in the capital island of Male’, meaning that the findings are not necessarily representative of the situation in the whole country. Schools based in different islands are likely to have less awareness and knowledge of children’s right to participate as enshrined in the UNCRC as educational standards are generally regarded as lower in other islands than it is in Male’. This cannot, however, be stated as a fact in the absence of empirical data. Human rights and other advocacy groups often visit outer islands to raise awareness and may have, thus, enhanced a particular school or island community’s knowledge of the UNCRC to higher levels than at some schools or other relevant institutions in Male’. For a more accurate picture of how much the Maldives as a nation knows of children’s right to participate, therefore, further studies need to be undertaken that include children and other stakeholders and institutions based outside of Male’. Furthermore, based on the discussions during focus groups, it can be surmised that a majority of the students who did participate in the focus groups on 1 November 2011 were all high-achievers rather than average students. That is to say, when invitations were sent out to the schools seeking children for participation in the focus groups, schools cherry-picked students from among highachievers rather than make random selections. Any future such study should clearly state that the selection should be random so as to ensure that views of the average student can be sought and their levels of knowledge of the right to participate assessed. This would provide a more accurate picture that can be seen as representing the country more widely than does the findings of this report. 7