[ti:Study: Young People Worried about Education, Employment, Democracy] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Young people all over the world are seriously concerned [00:04.40]about the state of politics and education. [00:08.28]That information comes from a survey [00:11.88]by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. [00:19.32]The study looked at 151 youth organizations from 72 countries. [00:25.12]It centered on young people aged 15 to 29. [00:30.12]The researchers noted that people between those ages [00:33.72]have lived through two worldwide crises [00:36.80]— the 2008 financial collapse and the coronavirus pandemic. [00:42.48]OECD researchers say it is important [00:46.16]to learn the effects of the pandemic on younger people. [00:50.44]The pandemic, they said, has "affected different age groups differently [00:55.56]and...its repercussions will be felt by many for decades to come..." [01:01.12]Youth organizations were asked to identify three areas [01:05.36]in which young people were finding it most difficult [01:08.76]to deal with the effects of COVID-19. [01:12.52]The top answers were mental health, education and employment. [01:17.48]Other areas of concern were personal relationships, [01:22.00]personal wealth and limits on individual freedom. [01:28.04]The researchers said the pandemic's long-term effects [01:31.76]on education "remain to be fully observed." [01:35.92]The study added that the crisis [01:38.20]has greatly "reduced international student mobility," [01:41.52]widened educational differences across different populations [01:46.00]and increased the risk of students ending their education. [01:51.36]An OECD study released this year found that, on average, [01:56.28]6 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds in OECD countries [02:01.32]were not involved in employment, education or job training in 2020. [02:08.12]In poorer countries like Colombia and Brazil, [02:11.44]at least 20 percent of young people [02:14.04]were not involved in employment, education or training. [02:19.68]The effects of the crisis have been more severe, the study said, [02:24.12]for "young women, young people [02:26.72]from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, [02:30.52]young people not in employment, education or training ... [02:35.12]and other young people in vulnerable circumstances," the study said. [02:41.40]Several countries have increased educational spending [02:45.20]and sought to improve the lives of vulnerable groups. [02:50.40]Canada's government, for example, provided money [02:53.96]to help native groups complete secondary school. [02:57.00]The country also introduced more childcare support for young women [03:02.56]in an effort to close the wage difference between men and women. [03:08.40]Sweden extended the time for which young immigrants [03:12.20]studying in upper secondary education [03:15.20]must find a job after graduation from 6 to 12 months. [03:21.40]There, immigrants are required to have a job upon graduation to get residency. [03:29.64]France, Belgium and Estonia have started new programs and trainings [03:35.52]for young people out of education and the workforce to build new skills. [03:40.96]Overall, just three out of 32 OECD member countries [03:46.32]studied by the researchers — Iceland, Japan and Luxembourg [03:51.32]— did not target young people as part of their recovery plans. [03:56.52]Even with such efforts, young people's trust in government [04:01.16]has decreased since the pandemic started. [04:05.16]Of all countries taking part in the study, 37 percent of youth organizations [04:11.48]say their trust in government has decreased. [04:15.92]They also reported low levels of approval for government services [04:20.64]like healthcare, housing and education. [04:25.12]Thirty-four percent of youth organizations surveyed [04:28.64]also say they are less satisfied with democracy. [04:34.00]Many countries looked to build trust with young people [04:37.76]by partnering with youth organizations in planning recovery measures. [04:42.96]Australia invited youth organizations to comment [04:46.92]on the government's budget goals. [04:49.56]Estonia listed the National Youth Council [04:52.96]as an important partner in the creation of its recovery plan. [04:58.20]Mexico questioned 20,000 of its young citizens [05:02.44]on issues like education, employment, [05:05.76]health and violence to inform policy measures. [05:10.80]When "governments communicate proactively," the researchers said, [05:15.16]"they can generate citizen buy-in and engagement, [05:19.16]including among young people." [05:22.20]I'm Dan Novak. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM