‘Education, education, education.’

Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary says more political literacy is needed.

Sheilagh O’Leary is the deputy mayor of St. John’s. She said education must lead the way
to make people more politically literate.
Kicker/file photo

Gema Pazmino
Kicker

The current political climate and the upcoming federal elections are relevant topics for many Canadians, but how important is politics to younger generations? 

Data recorded by Elections Canada showed the voter turnout in the 18-24 age range was 53.9 per cent in 2019, a 3.2 per cent drop from the 2015 turnout of 57.1. Approximately 2.7 million 18-24 year olds were eligible to vote in 2019.

Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary said increasing voter turnout among the young means making politics relevant and interesting.

“Education, education, education,” said O’Leary. “That is the first and foremost thing.”

For some younger people, she says, politics is not their main priority. Between school life and their personal life, politics may not cross their minds often. 

She emphasized the importance of having a class that deals with basic federal and provincial politics. 

O’Leary is not only a politician, but also an artist. She said she became interested in politics through the art and music scene when she was younger, not from school. 

Having younger voices in political spaces is also crucial for reaching younger people, she says. 

Chidinma Okpalaeke is a political science student at Memorial University. Originally from Nigeria, she moved to St. John’s to continue her education. When she started university, she was doing a double major in economics and political science, but she decided to mainly focus on political science since it resonated more with her. 

“The youth back home are very involved,” Okpalaeke said. “They really want to go vote because they want to change something.”

In Nigeria, she says, the issues are more life and death. But in Canada, things are more relaxed.

“They are not fighting hunger. They are not fighting starvation.”

She says studying political science helps people connect with their surroundings.

“In Nigeria, the economical divide is very, very large…”

Finding ways to relate politics to young people’s day-to-day life is crucial, she says, as well as using social media as a tool to reach younger generations. 

Education may help, but it may not be the best approach. Okpalaeke says if students have no actual interest in politics, it would be just like any other subject at school. 

“At the end of the day it is going to turn into a burden for the students.” 

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