This Is Jersey

From Joe Mayes (17).
RAMSAY Cudlipp predicted in his comment piece ‘Politics isn’t too complicated for the young. It’s too dull’ (JEP, 26 May) that he would be lambasted for having the temerity to assume that young people don’t care about politics.

I would not want to lambast his views but I certainly believe that he has missed the point concerning politics amongst teenagers and why better political education for young people in Jersey is a matter of importance.

While I would agree with Mr Cudlipp that politics can be boring, this isn’t the real issue. For young people, many things in life are boring. Writing essays, memorising formulae, conjugating French verbs all are things that hardly get the pulses racing but still have to be done in school. They are considered to be of importance and therefore they form part of our school curriculum.

But why is it then that politics should not form a part of a Jersey student’s education? Is it any less important than learning about subjects such as science or mathematics? Local politics ultimately affects all of our lives (particularly in a small Island of nine by five) and therefore I see it as a gross oversight that Jersey teenagers should learn nothing of it at school.

In the current situation most young people slip through the net unaware of the workings of the local political system and therefore taking their apathy and under-informed views into adulthood. If it’s not given to them directly of course teenagers won’t actively seek politics out. Mr Cudlipp is right: Facebook remains more appealing.

Yet this doesn’t have to be the case. I believe 16- and 17-year-olds in Jersey should spend one of their PSE lessons a week (all I ask for is one!) being taught about how local politics works. Encourage some class debate on key issues and debunk the mythical States Chamber with all its Senators, Deputies, scrutiny panels etc.

It may be boring but at the end of the day we are the voters of tomorrow and democracy does not stand a chance in this Island if we are given no grounding in what/who we are voting for. Putting politics back on the agenda should be a States priority and re-addressing this balance must start in the schools.

Article posted on 3rd June, 2010 - 2.58pm