A 17-year-old student who recently spoke in the House of Commons has called for local schools to include more political education within the curriculum.
Jersey Youth Assembly member Zahara Nohu spoke in the House of Commons last month.
The Beaulieu student explained how delays and stigma continue to hinder young people’s access to mental-health support.
Miss Nohu hopes to attend the British University of Egypt to study political science upon completion of her A Level exams.
She explained that she notices that her peers are not always politically informed, and thinks this could be “because schools don’t focus on political affairs as much as they should”.
Her comments come amid concerns about low levels of political engagement among young islanders, with less than a third of young people in Jersey able to name their elected States Members.
Miss Nohu said that young people’s understanding of political affairs could be improved by opening up more debates in the States Chamber, and giving schools the opportunity to bring students in to get them interested in the policies that affect them.
Miss Nohu explained that “trying to get more schools into the actual physical place where the big decisions are made on their futures” will increase understanding and interest among her peers.
The Jersey Youth Assembly, which is open to those aged 14-19 and run by the States Greffe, relaunched this year in a bid to get more young islanders engaged in politics.
Twice a year, the Youth Assembly holds formal debates in the States Chamber to replicate a real Assembly meeting, where members can choose debate topics and put questions to politicians.
Reform Jersey leader Sam Mézec has separately supported UK plans to lower the voting age to 16, and believes the change has had a “positive impact” since being introduced in 2008 in Jersey.
Whilst the politician acknowledged that the turnout rate for young voters is low, he said “it’s low for voters of any age in Jersey” and that “it is unfair to single out young people”.
“We need to do more across our politics as a whole to make it more accessible for all islanders,” he added, and referenced his party’s own youth branch, Reform Youth, as an example of this in action.