FALL RIVER: Four junior high schools and one high school in Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook, including Georges P. Vanier Junior High in Fall River, were among the 31 Nova Scotia schools to participate in the 2019 Student Budget Consultation, put on by CIVIX.
The four other schools that took part from the federal electrical district represented by MP Darrell Samson were: Gaetz Brook Junior High; Sackville High School; A.J. Smeltzer Junior High; and Graham Creighton Junior High.
Dan Allan, with CIVIX, said the results of the project survey will be shared with all of the federal political parties, including Samson as well as the other candidates this fall.
At GP Vanier, 26 students took part in the project, completing the survey. Teacher Louise Arsenault was leading the project at the school.
One Nova Scotia specific statistic from the overall results indicates N.S. students are among the most divided across party lines, with moderate support across the spectrum for the Liberals; Conservatives; NDP; Greens; and People’s Party.
Across Canada, 8,000 Canadian junior high and high school students indicated they were confident about jobs, however had concerns regarding education; environment; and poverty.
The next generation of taxpayers, have provided their insight and opinions on the major issues likely to feature in Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s fourth federal budget. That budget was released March 19.
The top issues students believe the government should focus on are education, the environment, poverty, crime and gun control, and fiscal responsibility. Students believe that making post-secondary education more affordable and accessible is key to their future success and economic well-being.
At the same time, a majority want the federal government to commit to debt reduction. Although students are split on whether the financial situations of their families have improved since the election of the Liberal government, students are increasingly positive about their future and job prospects.
For the sixth time, high school students from across the country participated in the Student Budget Consultation, a national initiative aimed at engaging youth in the federal government’s pre-budget consultation process.
CIVIX is a non-partisan, national registered charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and engaged citizenship among young Canadians. Their vision is a strong and inclusive democracy where all young people are ready, willing and able to participate.
