Society and Education System rely on adequate Youth Service funding says McCrea.
Basil McCrea Assembly member for Lagan Valley and Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Education speaking in an Assembly debate today called on the Minister for Education, in light of recent cuts, to provide further funding for Youth Services in Northern Ireland. Mr. McCrea welcomed the metaphor that Youth Services are the Cinderella of the Education system; they work slavishly for the good of others for very little reward.
In a statement Mr. McCrea said,
“Most Youth Services are provided by volunteers who work long hours for very little if any monetary reward. They are indeed the Cinderella of the Educational System and this means that when cuts are required they are an easy touch, they are perceived as nice to have, but not essential.
I consider this attitude to be completely ill-judged. Young people in our society are under extreme pressure to achieve at school whilst dealing with social, biological and psychological changes. The traditional support group of the family is also changing as parents often have to double job to survive while family break up can have a significant impact on children and young people. Youth Services provide the support and an outlet that allows children to develop to their full potential. They are a support to the traditional institutions, to the family and schools and in many cases they are a life line.
This is seen nowhere more truly than in areas of social deprivation. Mentoring, support and even a safe place to have fun and enjoy new experiences is often crucial in ensuring that adolescents do not drift towards undesirable behaviour. It is a benefit to children and communities if we invest early in life so that young people can fully participate in and gain from society. Short-term financial savings can often be a matter of placing a much greater bill in the post to be dealt with at a latter date by somebody else, somewhere else.
I urge the Minister of Education and indeed the Minister for Finance and Personnel to take a step back; they must stop looking at this issue in short-term monetary conditions and plan for the future betterment of our children and society by re-investing in Youth Services in Northern Ireland”.