A youth representative describes children protesting against school closures and raising concerns about their journeys to school.
School changes have stirred strong feelings in Arendal, the representative tells ChildPress. Some children were worried or sad about losing their school. Young people gathered outside the town hall to make their views heard.
The interview also raises questions about younger children travelling through a busy town centre in the morning. The speaker believes children's concerns have helped bring attention to safety, and says new routes have been planned to make school journeys safer.
These are the representative's account of the discussion. The interview does not set out the final decision for each school.
The speaker also describes plans to attend a youth conference in Tromsø with representatives from Agder. Meeting young people from other areas offers a chance to compare the issues they work on and learn from one another.
The local school debate gives a concrete example of why youth councils matter to the speaker: decisions made by adults can change children's daily lives, and children want a say in them.