Unterägeri,20.03.2018

Pilot project to get youngsters involved in politics hailed a great success

In an attempt to get more youngsters involved in politics, various youth parties organised a panel discussion for school pupils. The outcome was regarded as most encouraging, hence more such events are planned.

It was actually on Monday last week that the first such discussion panel took place, on this occasion in a secondary school in Unterägeri, all organised jointly by all youth parties of the canton of Zug, the various schools in the Aegeri Valley and the Punkto Children’s and Young People’s Advisory Centre.

No fewer than100 pupils aged between 14 and 16 took part in a discussion on affordable housing, a topic the pupils had been able to choose from a variety suggested in advance, with lessons beforehand providing the pupils with information they needed. At the discussion itself, a number of representatives of different youth parties debated the issue, with pupils able to ask questions.

As Konrad Franzini, the co-chairman of the Young Alternative Party of Zug, explained, it took a while for the session to get going but it was not long before lots of pertinent questions were being asked. “Many pupils took a keen interest in the topic,” he said, “not least as they themselves are likely to be affected in the future.”

As mentioned, this was a pilot project but bearing in mind its success, Franzini can well imagine more such discussions will be organised. “It is good for the pupils to see how young people are very much engaged in national and local politics; and we hope they themselves will become more interested and keen to get involved,” he said.

While they may disagree on politics, Gian Brun, the chairman of the Young Liberals, agreed with Franzini about such discussions. “They are more lively than dry lessons,” he said, adding how it thought it would be good for lessons in politics to be introduced into the curriculum.

As for the Punkto advisory centre, they felt these sessions were very much “win-win” situations, as project leader Christian Schalch explained. They are also a good form of preparation for Youth Politics Day, when pupils have the opportunity to discuss matters with real politicians. He, too, thought more such events should be organised, perhaps in cantonal schools or in local colleges of commerce and industry.