Press Release
Youth Voice tells Council to put education first
Shetland’s young people came together at a special meeting on Wednesday (9 November) to share their views on how the Council should cut £26 million from its budget over the next two years.
Shetland Youth Voice, a forum that gives young people across the Isles the opportunity to participate in the democratic process at a local, national and international level, met with Council Head of Finance Hazel Sutherland at the Anderson High School for a presentation and discussion on the Council’s current financial position.
Education was earmarked as core service that should be foremost in the authority’s list of priorities. The group encouraged the Council to make a decision on the Anderson High School urgently and stick with it in order to ease current feelings of frustration and uncertainty about the project. Post-school educational options were also raised, with a call made for more vocational opportunities to be provided for school leavers.
Several suggestions were offered for cuts, with retirement packages, staff and elected member’s expenses, and poorly attended night classes all mentioned as potential areas where savings could be made. Comments were made on how the Shetland public seems to expect the Council to pay for lots of services. The group said perhaps it is time to look at charging, adding that there is nothing wrong with people paying a reasonable amount for certain services.The Council was also encouraged to ensure that community consultations are purposeful and used to inform future decisions.
A lack of adequate transport was highlighted in comments on how bus services could be improved. One person suggested starting a ‘dial-a-ride’ service, which would help reduce on unused seats and allow buses to be better organised in line with demand.
Councillor Caroline Miller, who has been involved in a number of local projects with young people, said she is delighted that the Council is asking Youth Voice to get involved in the Have Your Say process: ‘My work with Shetland’s young folk has shown me that they are mature, compassionate and have a great understanding of local issues. It’s brilliant that the Council is speaking to them to find out how they think we should prioritise services. Shetland’s young folk are the future of these islands and we should involve them as much as we can.’