By YAG (Youth Advisory Group) writer Sam Kosack. 

Have Your Say Day returned in style, with the youth-led initiative back for its second year.
 
This year the event moved to Glen St Theatre, where student leaders from local schools and the Youth Advisory Group presented on a range of issues facing young people on the Northern Beaches. 
 
Presenters addressed around 100 attendees, including Federal MP Zali Steggall, local councillors, and organizations like Headspace and Head Above Water.
 
Here are some of the issues we heard about at Have Your Say Day:

Improvements to school curriculums about relationships and mental health

Students called for better education around mental health, consent, and healthy romantic relations to be implemented sooner to diminish stigmas and allow for healthier and more mature discussions about the topics. 
 
Speakers said that current education came too late and that by the time it was introduced in later years of high school, some students will have already faced these issues. It was expressed how a lack of education created stigmas around the topic, meaning students didn’t feel comfortable talking to teachers, counsellors, or friends about these issues. 
 
85.3% of students at one school said mental health was the biggest issue facing them and their peers.
 
To resolve the issue, school leaders called for more counsellors to be available in schools, greater funding for school-based programs, and degendering classroom discussions about male and female biological health, so every student learns about other experiences, as well as their own.
 
Students advocated for improved education on non-traditional family structures to support and avoid inadvertently alienating students. Speakers shared personal experiences of feeling different and disadvantaged compared to their peers due to their family dynamics.

Limiting stress in schools to stem the rise in vaping

Students proposed that to reduce vaping rates, which was highlighted as a major issue, schools must focus on reducing stress on students. A survey conducted of one school’s student base indicated that students vape to alleviate stress, with vaping becoming more prominent since the beginning of the pandemic. 
 
They propose allowing more learning provisions for students who need them and encouraging education and support services for students thinking about, or partaking in, vaping.

Housing affordability for young people

One of the biggest issues facing young people is housing affordability, with the median price of a house on the Northern Beaches now $2.2 million according to the Sydney Morning Herald. 
 
A school survey found that a large percentage of students felt worried and anxious about rent prices and interest rates despite still being in school and living at home. Current house prices mean it is highly unlikely young people could live independently on the Northern Beaches without working full-time. 
 
Local councillors said that housing affordability was a “wicked problem” as there was tension between the need for more houses and the overdevelopment of areas but wanted young people to be able to afford to live here. 

Other Issues

There were also calls for greater efforts to help young people feel connected with the Northern Beaches community, as students reported feeling disconnected because of the pandemic and “systemic barriers between community groups that have led to a community disconnect and inequality in education”, as told by one student. 
 
Similarly, students believe the government should introduce recycling bins into schools to combat environmental pollution, and voter-ready programs to better prepare young people. 

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