You can rely on young people to tell you the truth
Every week, our team are amazed by the thought and passion of young people around the UK on issues from smart glasses to school meals to scooters. And last week was no exception. Over 60,000 of our voters had their say on the question “Do you feel hopeful about your future?” and shared their views with us in the comments.
As part of their voting, we also invited them to tell us what they thought the Government needed to do differently moving forward…
"We should have more voice"
Some of them got to share their views in real-time, as The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, visited one of our schools in Wakefield as part of her Big Future Survey Roadshow. She observed their VotesforSchools session, getting to hear exactly what they thought needed to change.
And they didn’t hold back, covering concerns from AI to future jobs to voting. One student said, “If we're allowed to vote then people are going to say we should be allowed to do other things [at 16] and it's a slippery slope, I think… But I don't completely disagree with it. We should have more voice”.
"The highlight of our visit to the region"
And Dame Rachel is not the only one who got to hear what they had to say. Articles about the visit were published in both the local Wakefield Express and in the BBC, thanks to the efforts of the school’s Assistant Principal, who is a passionate VotesforSchools advocate. There was even a TV crew from BBC Look North on site, who did a special report on the visit.
"We've got a brand new government and they should be taking children seriously"
Our voters often share with us that they feel their views have been overlooked in big decisions, the clearest recent example being the social media ban for under-16s (which they were not on board with). This came through in their conversations with Dame Rachel too.
And that’s why her visit felt especially impactful; she will be acting directly in young people’s interests, using their ideas to inform the Government’s next moves. She said, “All this talent and ability in Wakefield needs rocket boosting”. Our hope is that our results, in combination with The Big Future survey findings, prove that rocket boosters are needed everywhere, and young people are all too keen to make the best of them.
maybe we shouldn't underestimate young people
When I think about myself as a teenager, I think my strongest opinions were taken directly from what the NME said was cool or what Topshop decided was on trend. I certainly wasn’t having opinions thrust on me from all angles in the same way as today, and even then I still had trouble coming to my own conclusions.
That’s why I feel so proud of the students at Outwood Grange for sharing their opinions directly with a decision-maker like Dame Rachel. The world is changing more rapidly than ever, and yet they remain steadfast in their views and clearly articulated what they need from the Government in order to have happy, successful futures. This is true for our voters nationwide as well, even at primary school age:
“I feel the Government should let children share their views more often, which makes me hopeful for other children in future generations.”
But, above all else, I am grateful that thanks to this media moment, more people got to see that young people are more than the stereotypes that are so often attached to them. They are not one-dimensional. They are worried, but they are also hopeful. They are ambitious, but are unsure of how the future might alter their aspirations. They want to change the world, but they aren’t always sure where to start.
Ultimately, they are complex. And they are not to be underestimated.
In addition to overseeing VotesforSchools' weekly content, RSHE resources and curriculum guidance, she also works alongside the Head of Impact & Partnerships team to forge meaningful stakeholder relationships that help to give young people a voice. With experience teaching in the UK and overseas, Georgie is currently pursuing an MSt in Social Innovation at the University of Cambridge.