Following the April local elections, attention was paid to low attendance in the 18–29 age group. An avalanche of negative comments about young people who are accused of indifference and laziness began.
However, this older generation is liable for discouragement of young people into politics and public affairs, primarily due to the fact that Polish schools designed by them instill in young people conformism, Opportunism and Obedience And they get utilized to the fact that laws can be broken, and democracy is simply a facade. Another problem is the deficiency of representation of young people in politics.
The remedy for this situation would be to include youth policy, which would besides refresh our political scene – at the end of the text I propose any solutions. But ignoring the problem will surely consequence in further erosion of democracy and a weakening state.
Turnout in the fresh local elections in the 18–29 age group was the lowest of all and amounted to 38.6 percent. There are already voices on social media that young people do not care about their surroundings. For any fresh Left representatives, the deficiency of youth at the urns became a convenient explanation of its mediocre result. However, it is simply a clear signal to me that youths are disappointed, and this feeling of business is deepening.
If politicians and politicians do not realise this quickly, we will make sense throughout the generation to believe that engaging in public affairs is pointless. It is easy to foretell what this means for our democracy – and by democracy I mean "a political and social strategy in which citizens and citizens rule" alternatively than "a minute in which KO wins elections".
School of distrust and marazmus
By International civilian Competence Survey ICSS of 2022 students and advanced school students in Poland are 3rd in the planet in terms of knowing the political situation and civilian rights in their country. Then why don't they vote? According to the same study, only 33% of young people think that the political strategy in Poland is working well, and 77% think that MEPs to the Sejm and the legislature do not represent the interests of young people.
Polish youth does not trust politicians, does not trust the government, does not trust institutions, does not trust schools, teachers, programs or textbooks. ICSS results show that only 38% of students and students believe that people can be trusted at all. It is hard for them to be surprised, since their everyday life is highly undemocratic, stiffened and powerfully hierarched school system, in which they are obliged to participate. The alleged student self-government is simply a façade – class self-governments usually have no influence on the decisions of teachers, and the competences of the school authorities depend on the views of the chief or director.
Student rights are violated on the agenda, and their attempts to respond are at best met with indifference, and at worst with secondary victimisation and repression. This is simply a common phenomenon in public schools, especially manufacture schools, as evidenced by a survey carried out in 2023 commissioned by the Civis Polonus Foundation, and whose results were published in a study on the crucial title School Autocracy. Thus the conclusions of the survey comment its authors, Marta Cwalina and Przemysław Sadura:
"Our school is not a modern vehicle, but a transmission belt that transmits to another generations a deficiency of trust in fellow citizens, the state and its institutions. It is simply a sphere of reproduction of the farm and feudal social structure. [...] Our interlocutors realized that there was little civic education in manufacture schools and that it was taken little seriously than in advanced schools. They felt they were considered second-class citizens, but they felt it was even better. Why? They already had a household education and entrepreneurial lessons – and what? In these first classes they learned where the embryo was nested after conception, but they had no thought how to have (consensual) sex or how to usage contraception effectively. They learned from others all types of companies, but did not learn to fill out taxation returns or compare the offer of bank accounts." In the same study, students frequently indicated that they learned more about social organizations from TikToka and Instagram than from school.
Polish schools should primarily prepare young people to live in a democratic, dynamic, innovative and open society. Meanwhile, our education strategy seems to have no clearly defined formational goal. As a result, the school leaves young people with advanced levels of encyclopedic cognition within certain ranges, but low soft and social competences. Young people are taught that no 1 but themselves and their loved ones will take care of them, and from the state (represented besides by teachers and teachers) 1 should anticipate at most restrictions, interference in private matters and attempts to rise potakiewiczs of the current ruling party.
Pupils and advanced school students so value relationships and friendships and feel strong force on self-development, but do not attach importance to civic values, and in active engagement in matters of state and region do not see the origin of implementation and satisfaction. Already at the age of 14, young people – although inactive enthusiastic about voting – declare a deficiency of willingness to engage in political life.
Civil education in Poland, therefore, is that the school primarily teaches cynicism, hypocrisy, opportunism, indifference and obedience. I'm sorry about the generalization of teachers and teachers who put their hearts in and time to activate youth, due to the fact that there's most likely any of you. Your work is invaluable and thank you for it – but here I describe the systemic dysfunction of our education.
We turn on youth or shut off democracy
Low turnout in local elections is an expression of youth protest and a sign of discontent with the fresh government. Thanks to the activity of, among others, the East Initiative or the Youth Climate Strike last autumn, young people managed to convince that their voice had the power to change. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his coalitions failed the expectations, due to the fact that alternatively of the promised change they gave us a performance of a primitive “flavor” of old men. Meanwhile, women inactive don't have access to a safe abortion, students and students for dormsand housing prices will emergence again zero percent credit. By its custom, the Ministry of Education decides what happens at school, without consulting students and students.
The absence or appearance of post-October changes inevitably generates a feeling of profession in young people, which combined with the average age of candidates for councillors oscillating around 49 years had to translate into a low motivation to participate in local elections. I imagine that further discouragement of young people to visit polling venues may have been the fact that most of them are planning or dreaming of permanently leaving their cities and towns, without having the feeling that anyone cares about their future in the region.
For the same reason, those who have already gone distant to survey in larger cities do not plan to return to their home after finishing them – and did not visit their hometowns to vote. Apart from the voice of young people and not caring about their representation, we make a self-propelled mechanics of their political and social exclusion.
If we do not want the dominant ideology among young people (and in the future among the general public) to be intergenerational "treasure" we must rejuvenate our democracy rapidly – and in a twofold sense. First by reviewing methodology, refreshing the toolman and adapting to the conditions of liquid digital-material reality. Secondly, by effectively involving young people. It is good for us that both of these reforms can be carried out in 1 attempt, as the introduction of fresh blood into the political bloodstream will bring innovative ways of managing the state and self-government.
It is not without reason that the European Union and the UN urge ensuring the participation of young people at all phase of policy and public affairs decisions, both of which see the sources of innovation that we request in young people to deal with Rising crises. Ignoring these tips not only takes distant our chance to know a unique perspective, but besides perpetuates the belief that politics is simply a dirty and airtight game, public space concreted, and the young will best come out, taking care of themselves and possibly their immediate surroundings.
Deeper revision of the function of young people in decision-making and democratic processes must be done quickly. We request a nationwide dialog on long-term youth policy, which will affect others in political processes. This dialog should be broadcast by young people. For my part, I declare that this initiative is being implemented and I immediately propose any solutions that could be discussed.
I would urge that wherever there is simply a gathering on a public institution's improvement strategy or action, there should be at least 2 people under the age of 30 at the table, and with larger teams their participation should not be little than 20%. The full process should be adapted so that young people can participate full and full realize it. He should not, for example, interfere with school education, and young people should besides be rewarded for their work and contributions. akin requirements must apply to all public consultations, stakeholder meetings and civilian hearings.
I besides request Lower electoral age up to the age of 16, as many studies point to the fact that the current threshold of 18 years not only does not justify the psychodevelopment of children, but is besides unfortunate for many reasons. Although it makes young people wait besides long for direct participation in democratic processes (especially in the face of the previously mentioned façade of school and class authorities), while learning to reconcile themselves to helplessness. This is demonstrated by the fact that, according to the aforementioned survey of the ICSS, 86% of students and students aged 14 declare that they will benefit from it erstwhile they have an active electoral right. Examples from Austria, Scotland and Brazil showthat the decline in electoral age had a long-term affirmative impact on election attendance in the youngest age group and the full population.
I besides request that the age of gaining passive electoral rights in elections to the Sejm and the legislature be reduced to 20 years of age and that statutory parities be introduced for the participation of young people in electoral lists in elections at all level, in line with those on gender. In my opinion, 30-year-olds and younger people should represent a minimum of 20% of all candidates and candidates issued by the committee.
By GUS data from 2022, people aged up to 24 are almost 24 percent of the Polish population, while only 0.65% of the current Members of the Sejm have less than 30 years. It means that this group is presently extremely underrepresentedWhat is likely to be a direct consequence is the very hard situation of adulthood today. In the light of these data, it is not amazing that they are convinced that their interests are not taken into account by the deputies and deputies of the Sejm and the Senate.
All persons and institutions who recognise the importance of the problem addressed by this text are invited to co-organise this dialogue. You can contact me on the website Youth Climate Strike Friends Foundation. I invitation readers and readers to support NGOs. Were it not for their hard work, election turnout – not only among the young – would be even lower in the past elections.
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Szmo Kacprzak – long-term activist of the Youth Climate Strike, campaigner and coordinator of social projects. associate of the Board of the Youth Climate Strike Foundation.
