THE General Election has been called for June 7. What does it mean for those who will be casting their vote for the first time? I joined a group of sixth formers at Duffryn High School in Newport to take the political temperature.

Older, more cynical heads may have taken a weary note of Tony Blair's announcement but our group of first-timers have no doubt about the importance of going to the ballot box.

They may not have any entrenched party loyalties but there are key issues which will decide the way in which they do eventually vote.

Every one of the A-level key skills students said they will be using their vote.

Natalie Edwards said: "I think everyone should vote. Some people may think they are not political but the result of the election affects everyone.

"I'm not really bothered about politics but I will vote. As I get older, what the politicians do will become more important for me as I get older." Sarah Belcher said that the only way of getting change is by voting.

"Voting does make a difference. If people don't go out and vote, then things just stay the same."

At 17, head boy James Allen is the only one of the group who cannot vote this time - but he would if he was on the register.

"It is a moral and social responsibility to vote. If people don't vote, then they have no right to complain about what the politicians do."

Top priority for this group of sixth-formers, not surprisingly, is education. Tuition fees for college and university courses will make it difficult for those parties.

Robert Power said: "My father works at Llanwern and with the situation there you are going to have people looking at whether they can afford to go to college."

The teenagers condemned the lack of information about politics and political parties.

Christal Llewellyn said: "We are being asked to make a choice but it is very difficult when you haven't got a lot of information."

While there was broad support for more lessons in 'citizenship', the group was also concerned about bias creeping into lessons on politics.

Kevin Draper said: "There is a need for people to be better informed but everyone has political beliefs and it would be wrong if lessons were biased."

There was also concern about so-called 'spin' which made issues such as the future of Phoenix, the calf spared from the foot-and-mouth cull, the centre of political debate.

Alex Clarke said: "It was pathetic that Phoenix should be on the front pages. The politicians jumped on the bandwagon because they thought it would make them popular."

The impression given by the teenagers of Duffryn is that voting is important - but there is a lack of passion about mainstream politics.