Lauri Pavlovich recounts how they were recently part of the youth press gallery for The Y Victorians Youth Parliament program. Lauri had the opportunity to watch the debates and interview the team representing the Y Geelong on their bill at Parliament House.
Last week young people from The Y Geelong youth organisation came together with 19 other teams from around Victoria.
They met as part of The Y’s Victorian Youth Parliament, a program that gives young people aged 16 to 25 an opportunity to have their voices heard in Parliament House.
The Y Geelong wrote and debated on a bill advocating for disability inclusion in Victorian secondary education, drawing upon the members’ lived experience. For most of the young people this was their first time speaking at Parliament House.
For Angelo von Möller, 18, it was his third and final time as a youth parliamentarian. This year he was elected by his peers as deputy youth premier. Politics are a big passion for Angelo and he is excited to continue learning as he undertakes his first year of university.
The team took part in months of research and preparation to create what they believe is the first bill of its kind worldwide – we couldn’t find anything else like it. As the bill has passed through Youth Parliament, it will now be passed onto the Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins MP, potentially ensuring better inclusion and awareness for disabled students in the years to come.
Youth parliamentarians must practise supporting and refuting the bills being debated, but in this case both sides were in agreement that disability inclusion in the education curriculum is long overdue.
Participant Jack Dumble, 16, urged “fostering this understanding of differences is critical to the development of our young people”.
The team cited barriers to education for people with disability, with bullying and exclusion most prevalent. One in 10 students in Australia have a disability, yet disabled students are twice as likely to not finish year 12 as their able-bodied counterparts. 21 percent of students who acquire a disability before age 15 leave school before 16.
These statistics were brought forward by participant Chase McIntosh, 21, who went on to state: “In Victoria we are currently failing these young people. Not even giving them a chance for success.”
Participant Ruby-Rose, 16, called on the wider community to do more, stating: “Let us work together to foster an educational environment where every student, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.”
Another participant added: “We need more allies in Australia”.
The main argument of the refuting side was that secondary is too little, too late, perhaps opening the floor for a future Youth Parliament bill.
Throughout the program’s history more than 20 of the bills have passed into law, showing that the importance and impact of platforms for young voices should not be underestimated.
These are our future leaders, already enacting real world change.
This was the Victorian Youth Parliament’s 37th year with many of our current politicians reflecting fondly on their time in the program during their youth.
The Y Geelong team was truly inspiring in its ability to deliver such powerful speeches.
Leaving the chambers with a final quote by Youth Premier Krushnadevsinh (Kano) Ravalji: “We do not ‘want’ disability education in schools, we ‘need’ disability education in schools”.
