Politics and the Young – do they connect?

At the moment in Surrey, there is a very worrying question being asked by many householders as to whether the council tax will be increased by 15% or not. There is a proposed referendum to take the issue forward, but to many teenagers this will seem an irrelevant question but should it be?

The local council is claiming that it has a “huge gap” in its budget after cuts to local government and that there is a “looming crisis” facing social care. If it were to go ahead it would adversely affect many families. Although Surrey is one of the more affluent counties, there are still many pockets of poverty where families cannot afford basic necessities. A massive increase in council tax could cause the ruin of many.

On the other hand as the Labour party is suggesting, is the real reason to make cuts? The proposal goes through, a referendum takes place which results in a rise not happening and then the cuts are proposed to make up the difference in money.

What do teenagers know about this?  As a student you may have been lucky to have had a lesson on local government and how it operates but it is not guaranteed. Financial management and politics are not an essential part of the curriculum. How do children find out how to save and what bills come into a household?  How is the council tax broken down? I am sure that there are many statistics available about the breakdown for all the local services but not in a simplistic format for children – at least it is not widely known.

Not being aware of such information makes voting at 18 not a truly informed decision which is why so many children follow their parents in their political choice. They do not necessarily know why they vote for a certain party but my ‘Dad’ did and ‘Grandad’ did. For political candidates, the change of voting pattern can be an almost impossible task.

Whether it be a major election or a local referendum, information on both the process and the matter concerned needs to be understood.  This should be taught to children from a much younger age. There are books available from publishers such as Dorling Kindersley, but do many parents or schools buy them in? I believe that for future generations Politics and Government should be a compulsory part of the education from Primary School level alongside financial management. Without it, the continuation of children and teenagers not understanding the country they live in will be of a detrimental effect to the future economy.

By Julia Woods, Sutton High School