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What
does politics mean to you?
Something
boring. A load of men in suits trying to see who can talk loudest
is what it seems like to me.
So
you don't think local or national government decision-making is
relevant to you?
I think
it should be but it's not at the moment. No-one has asked me what
I feel about things that affect me directly - like plans to change
school holidays, or what local facilities there should be for kids.
Less
than 50 per cent of people under 25 voted at the the last general
election. Now Tony Blair wants young people to take more interest
and get more involved in politics. How can he make politics cool
for kids?
By
making it relevant to them. At the moment it seems that no-one REALLY
listens to what we think or feel. Parents, teachers, politicians
- they all SAY they are interested in our views but then they ignore
them and say they know what's best for us. Is it any wonder so many
young people can't be bothered to vote when we get to 18?
Just
look at what teenagers get paid - that's the proof that the
younger you are the less you are valued.
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| Matthew
Mulligan, 13. |
What
issues do you worry about most?
Anything
that's endangering the lives of people and animals - war, pollution,
global warming.
Did
you know the government has a Children and Young People's Unit and
a minister for young people?
No
I didn't.
Or
that there is a United Nations Convention giving children the right
to have their views heeded?
No.
I haven't seen any evidence that young people really are consulted.
How can children exercise their rights if we aren't told about them?
The
Children and Young People's Unit is conducting a survey to find
out how best the government can communicate with young people -
magazines, TV, radio or the internet. What do you think?
Schools
would be the most obvious place to start - that's where we find
out most things, after all. And schools should teach us how we can
get ourselves voices heard by the people making decisions affecting
us. It's not enough just to ask us what we think - our views should
be seen to be having an effect.
Do
you think young people are discriminated against in society?
Definitely.
Just look at what teenagers get paid - that's the proof that the
younger you are the less you are valued.
Why should someone of 21 get paid more than an 18-year-old, or an
18-year-old more than a 15-year-old, if they are doing the same
job?
It's illegal to pay women less than men for the same work but it's
still legal to pay young people less than older people, even if
they've been working for the same length of time. Why?
Have you got things done or changed in your community by kicking
up a fuss? Tell us your story - email gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
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