How would you increase young people’s understanding and participation in our democratic process?
According to the University of Victoria, more than half of the New Zealand population aged between 18 and 30 did not vote in the last general election.
It seems that in this world, democracy is either taken away or taken for granted. The disappointing turnout of New Zealand’s last general election demonstrates the irony that, although millions of people have died, are dying and will die for the right to freedom of speech and choice, those lucky enough to have it do not necessarily exercise it.
New Zealand’s colourful journey to democracy is clear to see; written in the lines of history books, school books and the faces of those born into a nation that prides itself on freedom. Nearly every young Kiwi recognises the name Kate Sheppard, but do they know that the conservation of her cause is still in their hands? Perhaps, as they pass bank notes printed with her face in exchange for a can of coke and a mince and cheese pie, they forget that the fight for democracy is not just a history lesson but a vital part of society that needs participation and understanding to create equality and maintain it.
Young people need to understand that their participation in how the country is run is absolutely vital to maintain freedom and equality. Freedom of speech only exists when those who have it are actually speaking.
So why is it that the number of voters is falling, especially among young New Zealanders?
According to Statistics New Zealand, the main reason people gave for not voting in the 2011 General Election was that they “didn’t get round to it, forgot or were not interested”. Another 7.1 per cent of the non-voters said they did not think their vote would have made a difference. This is a big increase from the 3.9 per cent who said this in the 2008 election. The belief of the effectiveness of one’s vote is called political efficacy, and the decline of political efficacy in young people is becoming apparent not just in New Zealand but in many other democratic countries.
The statistics are now before us in black and white. The majority of those who didn’t participate in the elections justified it with laziness, ignorance or indifference. The frightening prospect is that, as a person develops good and bad habits when they are young, the habit of not voting will continue throughout a person’s life if they abstain from their ability to participate in their early years.
It is clear that something needs to happen to change youth’s perception of the democratic process and the significance of their participation. The answer to this clearly worsening problem is education, and making sure that none of the three stated barriers are relevant in future elections.
Let us look at the excuses that New Zealander’s gave for not voting – laziness, ignorance and indifference. These are particularly frightening justifications for not exercising one’s freedom of choice and speech in regards to the way New Zealand in run.
For a country that is very happy to publically let loose opinions on politics through social media sites, it seems that there is a lot of ‘all talk no action’ when it comes to reflecting these beliefs on a voting paper. If this is the case, young New Zealanders need to be reminded of the dire situations in other countries where many die for the right to vote. In South Africa, when black people were finally given the right to vote they queued for days in order to participate in a democratic process that they had been segregated from for hundreds of years. So where is this sense of urgency in countries that have that freedom, and should therefore stand as an example of the success of democracy?
In order for young Kiwis to understand that their opinion is relevant and can be very powerful, schools throughout New Zealand need to simulate the democratic process as a vital learning activity for students. Waipipi Primary School, a small yet proud country school south of Auckland, allows students in every class to vote for a class leader. Candidates from each class give a speech and propose what they would do for their classroom and for the school should they be elected as Class Leader, and a vote is cast by all students. Once the Class Leaders are decided, they meet every week with the principal and other Class Leaders to organise school events and put forward the views of the class they are representing. This process was incredibly successful at Waipipi Primary School as the students were given a sufficient amount of freedom whilst teaching them about the importance of democracy and the responsibilities of those who are in positions of power.
This simulation of democracy is incredibly useful and can be catered to children of all ages. If it were extended to all primary schools, the level of participation from the children in all school activities would increase as they would understand the importance of their opinion in an environment where individuality is encouraged.
In the future, if all primary schools did indeed use this activity, entire communities of primary schools could come together. For example, if Waipipi Primary School’s class leaders attend a Youth Democracy Day with other class leaders form Franklin primary schools and combine ideas and discuss issues. Perhaps MPs from that specific region could also participate in this event and take part in fun activities with the children, thus developing a positive relationship with democracy and politics from a young and impressionable age. Therefore in the future, this “cohort” that graduates and becomes eligible to vote has the foundations of democracy and its successes already, and the level of political efficacy in New Zealanders will improve as this trend continues.
In order to address the issue of ignorance in young New Zealanders regarding the democratic process, we need to ensure that access to knowledge about politics is available to every young Kiwi.
To an extent there is some merit to the justification of ignorance as many New Zealanders, especially youths, find it hard to keep up with the complicating happenings in parliament. Parties need to become more involved in the community to make their general beliefs clear whilst presenting a friendly face. Throughout my primary and secondary education, my schools have never been addressed by or received visits from MPs. Who can blame secondary students for not knowing about where political parties stand when MPs have not directly addressed them or made them feel relevant in their cause?
Upon visiting the New Zealand Parliament website, I was bombarded with information that, although informative, was overwhelming for a young person who is new yet eager to understand the democratic process. Although I understand that a Youth Parliament exists and is successful in allowing a select few youth representatives to be involved in government decisions, it is clear that such privileges are only available to those who are of a high academic calibre and do not cater to the masses. The crucial factor of democracy is that it should be available to all, and the limited options for youth involvement do not reflect this. The high level of ignorance and even prejudice among young New Zealander’s regarding parliament and democracy is a consequence of this inability to make democracy applicable to the young people who make up a third of New Zealand’s population – and will grow up to be a large proportion of those eligible to vote. The same system of simulated democracy in primary schools should be exercised to a higher level in high schools, and the support of MP’s in these events would make it a success.
Each and every student needs to be made aware of the political situations in both countries around the world and in their own. At high school in particular, exposure to both national and international news is absolutely crucial to broaden youths’ understanding. Teachers need to allow and assist students to read and understand news reports and conduct in-class discussions about the influence of politics in both international and national affairs. This stimulates debate and freedom of thought in the classroom which is vital, as students need to understand that their choice and participation is what helps to decide how their country is run. Learning about situations overseas invites students to reflect upon their own beliefs and the happenings in New Zealand in contrast to overseas countries.
New Zealand is situated far away from many countries that are faced with dire situations, the oppression from Boko Haram in Nigeria for example, and exposing teenagers to the shocking inequality that takes place around the world will make them respect and treasure the privileges they have to live in New Zealand. Newspapers run active Facebook accounts and release articles every hour, so as New Zealand’s youths spend a great deal of time on these sites there should be no excuse for not being aware of current events.
The only way to make New Zealand youths aware of the power of their vote is to teach them about and expose them to democracy from a young age. It is vital that MP’s connect to young kiwis and become involved in events run by schools and communities. New Zealand is a country with an impeccable amount of pride and spirit, especially among the young, and the key is to harness this energy and give young kiwis every opportunity possible to have a voice.
* Louise McNally, 16, of Strathallan ACG College in Karaka, wrote this winning entry in the triennial essay competition run by the Former MPs Association..
