Youth Assembly hosts first official sitting |26 June 2023
SNYA members during their first sitting
Unanimously approves two motions
In its first official sitting on Saturday, the Seychelles National Youth Assembly unanimously approved two motions pertaining to the Perseverance secondary school as a vocational institution and how to tackle obesity among young people.
All 21 members voted for the motions during the session chaired by Speaker Said Lesperance.
In the first motion, presented by 15-year-old Joshua Anderson of Perseverance secondary school, and seconded by Liam D’Unienville, the Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA) proposed that the Ministry of Education does an in depth research on the merits of having a secondary school in Perseverance in the future, now that it has been confirmed that the present institution will be used for vocational studies only.
Young Honourable Anderson argued that the government did not consult parents before making this decision and highlighted the possible issues that may arise once the Perseverance students move to other schools – including lack of security, unavailability of bus service to access other schools, difficulty for both students and teachers to adapt to a new school, and lack of resources, among others.
Young Honourable Anderson stated that although his motion called for another secondary school, he was pushing for the government to reinstate the existing one to Perseverance students. “Our beautiful school just turned five years old and we have recorded many achievements to date,” he stated.
The young parliamentarian said he was encouraged by his colleagues to table the motion as the decision by the Ministry of Education would have a national impact.
“I am not against a vocational school, I just want them to find another location for it, because in 2018 our parents fought for a secondary school in Perseverance and today we are being told to vacate the place. It is five years old, we have our website and a good management team. They should identify another plot for this school,” he said.
Seven young parliamentarians spoke for the motion citing various concerns, with Young Honourable Liam D’Unienville stating that 643 students will now be dispersed to three other schools namely Mont Fleuri, English River and Belonie and possibly Plaisance.
He said the move will disrupt their studies as they try to adapt to a new environment. This was echoed by other members who said that the students’ academic performance will be affected and turning the Perseverance secondary into a vocational school will be a waste of existing resources.
In the second motion brought by 16-year-old Young Honourable Sean François of Beau Vallon secondary school, the SNYA was proposing that the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Education should urgently work on an effective strategic plan to tackle obesity among children.
Young Honourable François stated that obesity in the country was alarming, and schools were aggravating matters by not providing healthy, affordable food in their canteens. He proposed a healthier food plan where fruits and vegetables would be sold at affordable prices.
The young representative also said there was a lack of education about obesity and bad planning in physical education meant that students did not take the lesson as seriously as other studies.
“Not many people address the issue of obesity or would think about tabling such a motion, and the young people who are obese are not necessarily confident enough to bring forth such a topic,” said Young Honourable François.
His colleague, Abigail Faure, who seconded the motion, told the assembly that the latest statistics released last year indicated that 30 percent boys and 35 percent girls below 18 years in Seychelles are obese and this was due to various issues including easy access to cheap junk food compared to healthier products and parents who were opting to buy takeaways instead of preparing a healthy home-cooked meal. She also called for a safe outdoor gym in all districts.
Other young honourables who intervened on the motion called for sporting and recreational facilities at housing estates, and promotion of sports at national level.
They also highlighted the psychological impact of being obese, including bullying.
Some of the members also shared their personal experiences, which Young Honourable François said took a lot of effort on their part and commended them for speaking out.
Following the deliberations and voting sessions, Speaker Siad Lesperance thanked all the members for their contribution and for being united.
He said the first official session went generally well.
“I do hope the ministries have heard us and give our two motions due consideration,” he said.
The 18th cohort of the SNYA has seven sittings set in their one-year mandate and the second one is scheduled for July 29 at the National Assembly.
Patsy Canaya