I suspect that all of the teachers out there who read this column won't be surprised when I say that the best part of my job is getting to engage with students everyday.
For weeks and weeks now, we have been inundated with news that has left many people feeling uncertain, angry, alienated and misunderstood.
I see the news feeds and I hear the coffee shop talk.
I know lots of people who have "taken a break" from the news and from social media.
As a political scientist, I don't really have that luxury. It's my job to follow the news and to dissect the speeches, rulings and laws.
But I do get a break, in some ways, when I enter a classroom or meet a student in my office or in the library. It's not a break from the news so much as it is a chance to see bright, eager, enthusiastic students who want to make a difference. Daily, I feel inspired by thoughtful and caring students.
I get to serve the UNBC and political science communities in many ways. I meet students in many different contexts. I see them as leaders in university clubs and in university governance.
I see them tutoring their peers and working on group projects. I see them participate in important social causes. Over the years, I have met with amazing young people who have changed and will continue to change the world in positive ways. As our students graduate, I see them give back by being part of their community and by asserting their citizenship.
It's so rewarding to be part of their university experience. Sometimes, when I hear students speak of their contributions to their communities and to the wider world, I am inspired to go back to the drawing board and rethink the way that my classroom teaching can better respond to their needs and interests.
I try to get better for my students so that they will have more skills to reshape the world. I think that we all have an obligation to provide the very best education we can so that our youth can rise to the challenges that they will face in their lifetime.
As we head toward a provincial election, it is time again to recognize that our youth are interested in issues that will impact their long-term goals. We do a disservice to them if we do not recognize that they are already politically engaged and often active in issues of social justice. But we also have to recognize that sometimes the political system itself seems to be too far removed from them and so they feel that government and politics will not help to create change.
It is heartening to see Elections BC taking initiative to encourage the youth vote by providing resources for families and teachers.
If you go on their website, you will see that Elections BC has teamed up with CIVIX, "a non-partisan, national registered charity building the skills and habits of citizenship among young Canadians."
They say in their website: "The participation of citizens in the electoral process is a central component of a healthy democracy. Yet a marked decline in electoral participation has been observed in many western democracies during the last two decades..."
They note that: "According to Elections Canada's National Youth Survey Report released in November 2011, the most important motivational barriers to voting were lack of political interest and knowledge, a belief that all political parties were the same and that no party spoke to issues relevant to youth, and a lower sense that voting was a civic duty."
Political parties should reflect on the fact that youth feel that parties don't represent their interests. I often note that even when a student lacks political knowledge they are still passionate about important issues like the economy, job prospects and social justice.
We need to do a better job at civics education. Why? Because as CIVIX says: "Young Canadians need and deserve a solid base of interest, knowledge and experience to inspire their citizenship. Without it they will continue to stay away from political participation, public policy and voting. With it, they will determine the future of Canadian democracy."
