Grade 12 student at Luseland School Julie Patton is one of 12 selected to be part of Saskatchewan's first provincial youth council. (Submitted photo/Julie Patton)

By Tyler Marr

YOUTH VOICE

Luseland student one of 12 selected for provincial youth council

Oct 20, 2019 | 8:00 AM

Be it 4-H, dance or an array of clubs and sports teams in school, chances are Julie Patton is a part of it and doing what she can to help make it better.

The 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Luseland School is one of 12 selected to participate in Saskatchewan’s first Youth Council. The group, which has representation from school divisions across the province, has the opportunity to address meaningful issues directly with the Minister of Education and other government members. They will provide guidance on how to better engage with students, too.

“I am always working to get kids in the school involved and trying to help the small issues,” she said. “But to be able to help out big issues that will help education and better it for the future, it is a big deal for me and I am happy to be a part of it.”

Patton has held the role of president of her Student Representative Council for two years and said she works to encourage others to get involved like her self. She hopes to raise the issues of dwindling engagement and the many challenges faced by rural schools with the minister.

“I think it is sad that the number of people in sports clubs are decreasing and I want to try to help better the programs and make some changes so that students will want to be more involved in school sports,” she said.

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The lack of teachers and educational assistants in rural schools is also top of mind for Patton at the first meeting of the council on Oct. 19. She said many of her classmates are learning advanced subjects like physics and calculus through distance learning.

“You are being taught by a computer and not a teacher and it just really puts you at a disadvantage when going to university,” she said.

Further, in a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school like she attends in Luseland, due to a lack of educational assistants, the few in the school are focused on lower grade levels and those with learning challenges are not available to high school students.

“Some kids need those there and it can be hard when you don’t have them,” she said.

Patton grew up on a farm outside Major with four siblings. She started school in Major but was forced to move to a school in Luseland when the facility closed.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr