As part of the Big Conversation, 128 students aged from 15 to 18 answered questions relating to politics and young people. The four schools involved were:
Corby Community, Kingswood, Huxlow and Lodge Park
Students' responses to the questions are given below:
1. What issues are most important to you?
school/education
17%
crime 13%
leisure facilities 12%
health 10%
family support 10%
transport 7%
environment 5%
bullying 4%
economy 4%
employment rights 4%
animal welfare 3%
foreign policy 3%
third world poverty 2%
europe 2%
skate board parks 1%
litter 1%
2. Who influences your views on issues the most?
parents:
26%
television: 25%
friends: 18%
newspapers: 16%
teachers: 14%
radio: 1%
Internet: 1%
3. It doesn't matter who you vote for because all politicians and political parties are the same
On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree:
1:
3%
2: 3%
3: 15%
4: 18%
5: 61%
4. Young people are not interested in politics
On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree:
1:
13%
2: 24%
3: 42%
4: 34%
5: 23%
5. What would encourage young people to be more involved in politics?
more
visits by politicians: 24%
better education about politics, political parties and their views: 20%
more information on political parties and their policies on young people: 17%
more MP advice surgeries at schools: 16%
increased contact with local politicians through elected school reps: 13%
reducing the voting age to 16: 10%
6. Politicians do not pay enough attention to young people:
agree:
77%
disagree: 23%
7. The way people vote makes a difference to the way the country is run:
agree:
79%
disagree: 21%
8. Politics is more about getting good press than actually getting things done:
agree:
50%
disagree: 50%
9. Politicians understand the problems facing the people that serve:
agree:
51%
disagree: 49%
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