Young people have a ‘huge appetite’ for political engagement, says campaigner

On stage at the Conservative Party Conference on Tuesday, Danny Bartlett, founder of Hands Up Who’s Bored, told delegates that younger people have a ‘huge appetite’ for political engagement and that citizenship has become ‘the fastest growing GCSE area of study’.

Although they are frequently portrayed as being apathetic, Danny believes younger people are just bored by the culture of politics. He used the recent riots clean-up as an example of young individuals taking positive action.

‘Whatever happens with citizenship education, I wish the government to ensure that political literacy lies at the heart [of it],’ he stated.

Danny is backed by Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates. In a video released this week, Reggie tells Danny why it’s ‘incredibly significant’ to retain citizenship in the school curriculum:

‘Not only does it offer younger people an chance to learn about the things that make their living environments the approach that they are, yet additionally it offers them an chance to have a say, to have a voice and to engage as well; and alongside that, engage on their terms,’ he states.

‘That’s the thing that I think is really, really exciting about it, and the fact that it could go away is a scary thought.’

‘I think that citizenship opens up a young person’s mind to the things that they care about and makes them appreciate that politics actually can affect their living environment, it can affect the skate park that they go to, it can affect the council estate that they live in, it can affect the amount of money that’s put in a single mum’s pocket every single month. And these are the things that citizenship is really significant for.

‘Taking away that horrible, distant ‘man in a suit’ sort of thing that goes with politics and opening it up and making it broader, and additionally making it accessible, which is what citizenship does, I think is incredibly significant.’

Hands Up Who’s Bored, one of o2’s Think Big projects, is Danny’s campaign to promote political education and a Parliamentary Year Book supporter. For further guidance, see the relevant UK information.

Tags: danny bartlett, reggie yates, whosbored