Students get their chance to quiz election candidates

Scheduled during an open window in exam timetables, the informal event saw more than 300 local students, braced with questions, ideas and concerns meet the candidates.

In response, 63 pitched up, keen for the opportunity to engage with the island’s future.

‘This is what it’s all about,’ said Kieran James, head of the Sixth Form Centre.

‘When I said to the candidates we’ve invited all the electorate who are aged 16, 17 and 18, they were like “count me in”.’

Prior to the event, the students were prepped with topics they might want to explore – housing and education seemed to be the main concerns they wanted to address.

‘For me it’s been important to ask people about education because obviously that’s currently affecting me,’ said 17-year-old D’Arcy Hutchins from the Sixth Form Centre.

‘The housing crisis is also important because once I’ve gone to uni, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to come back.

‘I think they’ve been quite open with me.

‘A lot of the time it’s hard to understand the depth of what someone’s trying to say without reading their full manifesto, but it has been interesting talking to them.

‘It’s nice to see that people are taking our opinions into account.’

Miss Hutchins said she will be voting for Paul Montague, who was deputy head of the Sixth Form Centre and head of the its International Baccalaureate.

‘I think he will do really well for us because he has first-hand experience of what’s going on in the school. I think for that reason a lot of us are supporting him. He was head of the IB which has recently been taken out. I personally do A-Levels, but IB gives you a qualification which you can take around the world and I think it was really good that Guernsey did offer that. That may be something he will look to bring back.’

A group of four 17-year-old boys from Elizabeth College had been speaking to Mary Lowe, Sally Rochester and Yvonne Burford.

‘It’s great to be able to have the opportunity to do this because we’re the new generation and we’re going to inherit the island,’ said Will Hemans.

The boys said they asked questions on tax, housing, government spending and wastefulness, population management and education.

‘They seem to be addressing the problems that Guernsey is facing currently,’ said Joe James.

‘I think they’ve got a plan and a purpose.’

The boys said they enjoyed getting to know who to vote for.

‘I think I have a rough idea of who I’ll vote for,’ said George Moakes.

‘But it’s nice seeing the different people here and maybe adding to that list.’

The students circulated the room, clutching pamphlets and badges being given out by the keen candidates.

‘Teenagers today are so informed and ask some really pertinent questions,’ said Victoria Oliver.

‘They have been really insightful.’

Asking Deputy Oliver the pertinent questions was 16-year-old Eva Redelinghuys and her friends from Ladies’ College.

‘We asked her about what she would take ahead of her next time in office, what advice she would give herself,’ she said.

‘She talked to us about how she’d be interested in reforming the structure of government. That was interesting.

‘I think it’s really valuable to get all the candidates in one room and especially as it’s held in a school, it makes it really accessible.’

For over two hours, the room at the Sixth Form Centre was buzzing with the hubbub of politics.