Prague, Nov 20 (CTK) – The current generation of children aged from nine to 17 is more sceptical towards the future, trusting the adults less than their peers in the past, as roughly one third of adolescents want to live outside the Czech Republic, according to a UNICEF survey results out on Monday.
The research was conducted by the STEM/MARK agency in the summer.
In a similar survey the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted in 2008, 57 percent of children said they believed the overall situation in the Czech Republic was better than ten years ago, but currently only one third of them think so.
One third, too, believe their life will be better than the life of their parents. Those looking into the future with uncertainty primarily fear crime, violence and the government’s incompetence in solving problems.
UNICEF Czech Republic chairwoman Pavla Gomba said Czech children are not adequately aware of the basic principles of democracy, since 46 percent of them think that voting in elections is a good way to improving the situation, compared with 55 percent of children espousing this view in 2008.
One fifth of the children said they would like to live elsewhere when they grow up, mostly in the United States. Out of children over 14, one fourth would like to move abroad and 56 percent want to remain in the Czech Republic.
“If I were a politician, I would be considerably concerned at children being so sceptical as regards the Czech Republic’s situation and future,” Gomba noted.
As compared to the previous survey, the trust of children in adults and institutions has dropped.
Most children still believe in parents and doctors. Their assessment of the president deteriorated significantly, with 43 percent trusting him in 2008 and only 18 percent now.
The cabinet has the least trust of children, as 17 percent trusted it in 2008 and 9 percent now.
“Compared with the previous survey, the children are much less open, much less credulous, less happy and more reserved, maybe also due to having much more information on world events. They have better access to information via the Internet and TV,” STEM/MARK analyst Jana Probostova said.
The survey was conducted on 407 children aged from nine to 17 from August to October.
