THERE is consensus among aspiring parish councillors from the two main political parties that the absence of civics lessons in schools has contributed significantly to the aversion young people now have for politics.

“…If you go to other countries, they engage their children from as early as kindergarten as it relates to their rights to vote. Because in this day and age you have persons still asking ‘I vote in general election, do I still have to vote in local government election?’ So what we need is a restructuring where we go back in the schools to teach civics,” Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for the Ensom City Division, George Moodie theorised during last week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange.

Moodie’s JLP colleague, 26-year-old Jodian Myrie, believes that technology has usurped the role of civics, arguing that exposure at a young age limits the time that should be spent acquiring knowledge.

“I don’t know if it is because of technology right now why we are so exposed to so many other things and it pulls us away from what is really important. And I find that young persons are not 100 per cent politically aware of what is happening around them,” she told Observer editors and reporters at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in Kingston..

Myrie, who is running in the Hagley Park Division, said one of the reasons young people are not willing to engage in political talks or activities is because they believe that the field is dominated by “old people”.

“I believe right now there needs to be a shifting of the balance to actually start engaging young persons in politics. Because, as we sit here, we are role models. I am a role model so it gives them something to look forward to, something to spark their interest and further engage them to want to be more politically aware that ‘yes, there is something greater happening around me that I can contribute towards,’” she said.

People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for the Duhaney Park Division, Norman Perry — who told the

Observer that his interest lies in youth development — argued that the removal of civics from the curriculum in schools has contributed greatly to youth apathy.

“I think that one of the problems that messed up the whole system as it relates to young people, and understanding the whole question of politics and the reason for involvement, was in the 1980s when they took civics out of school, the Government at the time.

“I am very interested as it relates to youth development; and when you go into communities in my division you have quite a lot of unattached youth. I am looking at it because right now all politics is local and everything that happens nationally affects us locally,” Perry said.

In the meantime Myrie, daughter of reggae superstar Buju Banton, believes that she can reach Jamaica’s youth to get them involved in the process.

“I can easily relate to the younger generation which highly populates Jamaica as it is right now. I also represent that face of change for the elder majority and yes, I play on both to my advantage,” the young businesswoman said.

Myrie insisted that she is bringing “new ideas, new ways of doing things and something different” to local government administration.

“The fact of me being young, as well as I finished UTech (University of Technology) in 2014… I operate my own business and I am married, as young as I am, and I have a daughter. Being in your own business, you have as much time as you need based upon how you delegate your work and how you structure your organisation to operate without you being there. So that as well plays in my favour,” she said.