Students get insight into politics

STUDENTS in Warrington have been given an insight into politics as a result of a visit from the UK Parliament’s education outreach team.
The Westminster team visited Priestley College to hold a series of workshops for First Year Citizenship students – some replicating real-life scenarios from the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Two separate groups of students were charged with pitching potential ideas for the creation of new laws to their peers – and these were then voted on to see which were passed through.
Sensitive issues such as the legal drinking age and the war on terror were top of the agenda for the students who were given a sense of how the UK Parliament functions.
The event was a key part of the studies being undertaken by the students on the Citizenship pathway. The course focuses on the rights and responsibilities that British citizens have and the nature of law, society and politics in our country.
The outreach education team travel around schools and colleges all over the UK to engage with students with the key point being to involve them in the political process from an early age.
Laura Lord, from the education team, said: “It was a really good and positive day at Priestley, the students were very talkative and opinionated which was excellent.
“Many young people are often oblivious to what goes on in Parliament and why our country functions in the way it does, so events like this are good for engaging them in the process.”
Picture shows Laura Lord with Citizenship students (left to right) James Oakley, Nicola Lodge and Lisa Whitby.