Deputy Jess Perchard, a former teacher, believes that the government is to blame for Islanders’ continued lack of engagement with local politics and that it is time for the matter to be addressed as an educational issue.
She said that a lack of general understanding about the political system was the reason so few Islanders took an interest in it and that the key cause was lack of education rather than apathy.
Education Minister Tracey Vallois confirmed that she was looking at developing existing work to educate young Islanders about local politics.
A recent report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – a league of wealth nations – on quality of life in its member states ranked Jersey bottom for its levels of civic engagement, largely due to its very low-voter turnout at elections.
At the most recent general election the turnout was just 43% for the Islandwide Senatorial poll.
Deputy Perchard said that her own experience as a States Member and teacher demonstrated to her drastic shortcomings in knowledge about local politics, which she thinks is the responsibility of the government to address.
‘I went to speak to a Year 12 class at JCG recently to teach them about our political structure and, hopefully, to engage them in local politics,’ she said.
‘It was interesting to see that many of them, most in fact, could identify the different types of States Members – Constables, Senators and Deputies – but were unable to name their own representatives. Scrutiny was a completely new concept to them.
‘This is our fault, not theirs. We have a social responsibility to teach young adults about our democracy. If they do not understand how it works, or even know the basics, how can we be surprised when their voter turnout is low?
‘Young people are curious, reflective, intelligent, keen to learn and have creative ideas. They are not apathetic, lazy or disengaged. We are simply not giving them the access or the tools they need to be able to engage in local politics.’
The Deputy said that Jersey’s long-standing ranking in the OECD for civic engagement, was ‘woeful’ and ways needed to be found to ensure all Islanders, including adults, understood the political system.
‘There are many people who are engaged and who actively participate, but they still represent a minority,’ she said.
‘I met one person who has lived here for over ten years, but who thought they were not allowed to vote because they were not from Jersey.
‘Of course, individuals have a responsibility to inform themselves, but we are not doing enough to help them.
‘It has to start in schools and, as I have frequently said, you cannot add anything to the curriculum without taking something else away because teachers are already on their knees due to their unbelievable workloads.’
Education Minister Tracey Vallois said that the demands of the current curriculum needed to be considered but she wanted to see political knowledge developed in young Islanders.
‘I have been in touch with the Greffe over the fantastic work they do with involving Year 5 students in the world of politics in Jersey and we are currently looking into ways to improve on this going forward,’ she said.
‘I have requested the Privileges and Procedures Committee to look at creating a sub-committee that can provide relevant updated information to the curriculum council over changes in the political arena for the longer term.
‘I would also like to make the point that it is not just for the Education Department to ensure civic engagement – it is a role for all of us.
‘I hope with the most recent pledge to include the child/young person’s voice in policy-making and also that making children aware of their rights as citizens will enable a better understanding [of the political system].’
