A Member of Parliament has signalled that his Party would do more to tap the positive potential of the younger members of the society if elected to govern for the third term.
National’s Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi believes that it is not only important to empower the youth with good education and health but also provide them with opportunities to succeed and foster economic growth and productivity.
“Younger members of the society are the future of New Zealand and good education forms the base to success in life. This is one of the most important issues for National. We would continue to do our best to raise living standards and build a more competitive and productive economy,” he said.
Rising crime
Mr Bakshi’s comments came at a time when a gruesome murder in West Auckland, the stabbing of a ten-year-old boy by his mate at a South Auckland school and the court case involving a teenager who is challenging his right to keep his hair long against the regulations of his school. These incidents have occupied prime space in the media, sparking debates on talkback shows.
Politicians and community leaders have stressed the need to curb the rising trend of violence among our youth across the country. Although initiatives have come from different political and social groupings, the objective of turning our young men and women into responsible citizens is a laudable one, and to this end, the two major parties (National and Labour) should work together.
Street fights on weekends, brawls in bars and public places, senseless murders and stabbings by mindless taggers are all part of the wasteful time spent by our young men. There is also a rising trend of teenage pregnancy in New Zealand and both segments are prone to drug and alcohol addiction.
Clearly, such a parade of unwanted events and developments should not be allowed to continue in our otherwise civilised society. Too many young people drop out of schools and work and take to the streets to perpetrate crime to give it a passing look and ignore.
There is need for action by politicians as elected members of communities, parents and teachers as responsible citizens, and the youth themselves as those who should take over the running of the country in the future.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi accompanied Prime Minister John Key during his visit to the Papatoetoe High School (South Auckland) in May 2013. They are seen here with (from left) Board of Trustees Chairman Ben Taufua, Head Boy Jarvis Nielson, Head Girl Joyeeta Bhakta and Principal Peter Gall
Better training
National as well as Labour have emphasised education as the single most important factor to youth development and as the starting point of engagement.
It is important to ensure that our teenagers complete at least their school education, get into training schemes and become skilled and semi-skilled workers. Such schemes would also encourage them to become entrepreneurs.
We are aware that schemes are more easily drafted than implemented and the need to rehabilitate our troubled youth is said faster than done. But with concerted action, the mission impossible (if it is thought so) can be achieved.
Mr Bakshi believes that education and training will lift the skills and qualifications of our young people while matching the need of employers.
“Our investments in this area are yielding results. Across New Zealand, 2013 results show that the number of students leaving school with NCEA Level 2 qualification has significantly increased to 77%, up from 74.3% in 2012, and 66.5% in 2008.”
He said that getting a job as a young person can be tricky.
“We introduced the ‘Starting-Out Wage’ programme in May 2013 to create more opportunities and help young New Zealanders get a foothold on the employment ladder. Since we introduced the 90-day trial period, about 13,000 jobs have been created, many of which were for young people. About 25,000 youngsters were placed in employment and training under our ‘Youth Ops’ and ‘Youth Employment Packages’ and 5000 through ‘Job Streams.’
Apprentice Scheme
“National has also invested in the ‘Apprenticeship Reboot Scheme,’ which pays eligible apprentices a subsidy of $1000 towards the cost of tools or off-job course costs, or $2000 for those in priority trades. Budget 2014 extended this and now we are investing an additional $20 million to fund 20,000 places to keep up with high-demand.”
Juvenile crime is a major problem in many countries, although there is evidence that an increasing number of youngsters are keen to gain higher qualifications and launch their careers successfully.
Mr Bakshi is an advocate for the ‘Young Professionals,’ a group that can boast of qualified young men and women who have become achievers in a variety of fields including accounting, consultancy, information technology, law and medicine. In addition, he brings together at least 25 youngsters every year to spend quality time with Prime Minister John Key.
Indo-Kiwi relations
Members of his extended family in his native India are officials and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which received a massive mandate at the recently held general election. Mr Bakshi is hopeful that Indo-Kiwi relations will reach higher levels in the coming years.
“National is committed to attracting skilled talent from overseas in areas where there are skill shortages. We have now awarded 15 top Indian students scholarships worth $150,000 to pursue programmes directly related to the Christchurch rebuild. The students will begin their masters and postgraduate diplomas fields in Earthquake Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management in July and February,” he said.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Education Minister Hekia Parata with the staff and students of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate, Otara, Auckland, during their visit in June 2013
Research grants
According to him, his Government has enabled joint research grants valued at $460,000 towards collaborative research projects between New Zealand and Indian universities.
“This is a part of our Tertiary Education Strategy of ‘growing international linkages’. By sharing knowledge and researching issues from New Zealand and India perspective, the academics involved will develop a more international outlook as well as producing research of mutual benefit,” he said.
While these developments are encouraging, it is important to curb the trend of rising crime and violence among some sections of the youth. Good parenting is seen as the most poignant factor in shaping the character and behaviour of our young people.
