Workshop Topic:

Learning young

 "Politics is trivia. Anyone can understand it. You may have to do a bit of study and research here and there but on the whole politics is straight forward. There are of course people who would like you to think otherwise. These are experts, those qualified (by the government) to speak on our behalf."

Noam Chomsky

What do young people get from us at the end stage of formal education - towards education of free choice?

A mother asked me how her 16 year old daughter, gets engaged with politics. What she was meaning was not, how to join a political party, but rather how she (daughter) learns to understands politics and political ideas. Politics here should be understood as "How groups of folk organise themselves"

One of the problems of doing this could be. How do we put back or maintain a hunger for learning that school may have killed - not learning for a job but "learning for life". But not learning for life by a pre-packaged government module that you get a certificate at the end of. But learning to live a life of engagement and full participation. A life of politics.

There is the transition space between the child and the adult. The no-mans land of youth. At a time in a young persons life when their energy could be used in hard work and the chance to sweat and earn some independence and cash - they are still tethered to education systems - testing for conformity, careers, and learning probably - that politics is boring.

Politics has also become a a word of vilification rather than an participatory organising tool, and for good reason - because, politics needs to rest in the hands of the experts and the powerful. For what politics means, does not necessarily fit the actions carried out by those calling themselves "Politicians" - as we all know.

The more you think about explaining the meaning of politics to a young person the more you realise how little you know yourself - Because politics is also about learning, and there is always something new to learn - Politics is ageless and a process you are never to young to be involved in.

Politics in any real sense can only be understood through an engaged life. What makes politics boring to young people apart from government propaganda - is our failure to engage them in political life. And we will only do that through real things that can be measured politically, are intuitive, carry responsibility and have a a relationship to the young persons future.

Governments can not educate young people about what politics is. (perish the thought if they did) Politics is learned through integration, participation, experience, family, friends and belonging to something. No government window dressing can substitute this process. So the question is how do we as parents, and mature adults, present formats that will help young people to understand what politics means...

Discuss

Connected to:
If we are out in the boat we might as well fish.
Community Journalism.
Photojournalism.
Video work