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Legislative page program changes teen's view of politics By John Bkila OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF When 13-year-old Jacqueline Wu first heard of the Ontario's legislative page program from her mom, she'll admit, she wasn't overly enthused about it. For the Grade 8 Forest Trail student, politics was never really her thing -- she was more of a math and sciences girl, says Jacqueline. But after nearly six weeks of heading to Queen's Park, the teen says she's glad she made the decision to act as a page. "I actually didn't think I'd be selected... I was a little surprised, but I wasn't exactly excited," she said. "But I did feel like if I didn't do it maybe I'd be missing out on something fun. "I learned a lot about the political system because I really didn't know much about it," said Jacqueline, noting her term was particularly exciting as it dealt with the early session of the teacher debate and the cancelled power plants in Oakville and Mississauga. She admits she definitely knows more about the political system now than before her term as a government page. "I actually thought it would be a lot more complex than it was," said Jacqueline. "I now feel politics is essential." The decision to become a page was a difficult one, Jacqueline admits, as it would mean early morning wake-ups, taking transit to downtown Toronto, and long days -- in addition, the program runs for an extended period of time and she would be missing out on the first few weeks of a new school year. A typical term of duty for a page lasts between twofour weeks, however, the fall term Jacqueline Wu for the pages was extended to six weeks after the legislature resumed early on Aug. 27, 2012 to introduce a new bill that affected tens of thousands of elementary and secondary school teachers. Grade 8 Ontario students can apply for the spring parliamentary session, while Grade 7 students can apply for both the spring and fall sessions. The pages work in the Legislative Chamber during House sittings from Monday-Thursday, as well as deliver documents to MPPs' and Assembly offices among their list of duties; while special activities, such as tours and lunches with politicians and key parliamentary figures are planned for them on Fridays. Pages also receive lessons and tutoring in school subjects, in addition to learning how the provincial government works and how a bill becomes law. In order to be selected as a page, Jacqueline had to submit an 800-word essay on why she would be a good page -- listing her ability to speak both English and French as an asset -- maintain at least a level 4 or 80 per cent average in school, as well as have recommendation letters from a teacher and her principal. Jacqueline was chosen from more than 300 applicants -- 60 pages in total are selected for each session and then divided into groups of 20. Her mom, Iris, says she's glad she recommended her daughter apply for the program. "It was a learning experience she never had elsewhere. She grew and became very independent... I definitely saw a change," she said. "She's been outgoing before, but now she's even more so after meeting and spending time with her peers and adults in a formal environment. It got to the point where she didn't even want to go back to school. There's a lot of growth that happened in those six weeks." As for Jacqueline, she agrees the program did change her and she now recommends it to others. "It was really a fun experience," she said. "We got the chance to learn a lot and meet a lot of people from across the province." 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