By Christine Nguyen*
AT the top of Spring Street last week, St Bede’s College students successfully passed their Life Skills Education Development Bill 2018 during YMCA Youth Parliament.
Bill sponsors Aaron Arthur, Dillon Bulman, Jeremy Mann, Rami Saab, Julian Taylor and Matt Watson were thrilled at the outcome, confident that the bill will positively contribute to the coming generations of high school students.
St Bede’s parliamentarian Rami Saab described the debate as “passionate”.
“The amount of fire and electricity in that debate was infectious,” Rami Saab said.
The bill seeks to equip students with the understanding and abilities necessary to be an adult, covering areas of learning such as fiscal management (obtaining loans, taxes), occupation development (resume building, job interviews), civic duties (community service/volunteering) as well as health and wellbeing (mental health and healthy eating).
“It is not often that students are advocating, or desperately asking to be taught more. This is something that so many students, no matter who we speak to, no matter what school you’re from, demographic you’re in, this is something that every student feels the curriculum lacks” Matt Watson said.
Students in the Legislative Assembly during debate stressed that the Victorian education curriculum is not only overcrowded but lacks in teaching students the fundamental skills needed to navigate through adulthood.
“We should not be afraid of spending money on education,” Jagveer Singh said. “These are skills that everyone deserves to learn.”
The Life Skills Education Development Bill will “allow the next generation to be one of success and knowledge,” Jeremy Mann said.
Nineteen Bills were passed through the YMCA Youth Parliament this year. The YMCA Youth Parliament gives young Victorians aged between 16 – 25 to have their voices heard by the highest levels of state government.
The Bills were handed over to Victorian Families, Children and Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos for consideration by state government ministers.
*Christine Nguyen is a member of the YMCA Youth Press Gallery
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 18 July 2018