Will we ever get a voice?

I'd like to start off by asking a question, when will teenagers ever get a voice? Obviously I don't mean literally a voice, I mean a say in things - particularly in matters that concern them. Today's latest is that schools will possibly close in the autumn due to swine flu. This is ridiculous. I'm not going to give up however many months of valuable learning time because the government are scared for what is effectively just a bad cold. Having read several articles on the issue online, I can conclude that nobody has considered the opinions of those that will actually be affected - which is what angers me so much.

On a smaller scale, equality in school manages to anger me just as much. The school council at our school is run purely if the school can be bothered and no matter how many issues you bring up with the members - nothing ever gets done. We're told they're all ''approachable'' and will try to resolve our issues - yet after three years I'm still waiting for soap in the girls toilets. I myself have been nominated as a school council respresentative for my form several times - however each time have lost out simply because the other candidates had more 'friends' than I did. Does the government operate in this way? I'd hope not...

And then there's 'teenagers in society'. It seems we can't even walk down the street without random strangers giving us a wide berth and funny looks. In the media, we're portrayed as drug-taking, streets-invading, soon-to-be-alcoholic yobs and it's really not fair. Yes, I'll admit that a majority of teenagers are like this, but another majority definitely are not. And for those that are, does anyone ever bother thinking about why they might have turned to drugs and drink?

Being a teenager is hard enough without being slagged off in the media and avoided in the street. You lose your friends, you suddenly experience emotions you previously didn't know existed and the pressures from school are often too much to bear.And for those 'model student's within schools, they never get any praise, no one ever recognises what they do - only what those that misbehave do. We're doing our best in this mixed up world, so why don't you do us a favour - and give us a break.

Rachel (Webmistress)