Young People Quiz Cabinet Secretary
Five young people from the Highlands met with Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop in Aviemore last week, to discuss issues affecting young people in the Highlands. Their conversation was filmed, and broadcast to over 200 delegates at the Children in Scotland international conference, "Building Better Childhoods".
Highland's Youth Convener, Gillian Slider, introduced the group from Highland Youth Voice and Highland Children's Forum to the Cabinet Secretary. They were Lewis Munro (from Kintail), Magnus Monahan (from Dornoch), along with Alisha King and Monea Meneses (both from Inverness). They asked Ms Hsylop questions about a range of issues, including transport, the environment, youth participation and services to vulnerable children.
Ms Hyslop, who described the questions she was asked as challenging and interesting, told the young group that she wanted all Scottish authorities to work more closely together to provide joined up services for children. In particular, she said that Councils and Health Boards had to make sure that their budgets were better aligned, so that funding could respond quickly to children's needs, without agencies playing 'pass the parcel' with their responsibilities.
In response to questions about education and training, Ms Hslop said that she wanted schools and training colleges to promote skills as part of a life-long learning approach. She added that she could not say too much, as she had not announced this to Parliament yet, but that she had major plans to support school leavers to have more choices and chances in employment and further education.
Ms Hslop also welcomed and said she agreed with Highland Youth Voice's support for the right to vote at 16 years old, adding that it was not reasonable that you might go out to work and pay taxes, but not be able to participate in the democratic process.
The whole process was a technological triumph for local media company HCVF. They filmed the interview at 10.30 on the morning of the conference, and had to edit and prepare it for broadcast within 2½hours - a feat they achieved with minutes to spare.
Youth Convener Gillian Slider welcomed the opportunity for the group to meet and discuss issues with Ms Hyslop. She said: “We were delighted that the Cabinet Secretary was able to talk with us about matters that are important to young people in Highland and elsewhere, and also to allow the broadcast of her responses to the conference. I shall be able to feedback all of the issues we raised to Youth Voice members."
Bill Alexander, Highland Council’s Head of Children's Services said: "The Cabinet Secretary demonstrated the importance of listening to the voice of young people by opening her address to the conference in this way. It is a tribute to these young people and their colleagues in the Youth Voice and the Highland Children's Forum, that they took part in this exercise."