I was delighted to welcome a group of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils from Shelfield Ormiston Academy to Parliament last week.
The trip coincided with Parliament Week, a national programme of events designed to encourage young people to engage with our democratic system, and the students explained to me that they had been on a tour of the House of Lords, House of Commons and Central Lobby. I then joined the group for a discussion about what it’s like to be a new Member of Parliament, and we then had a lively Question & Answer session, covering topics such as skateparks, youth services, and university fees.
Education Service visits like this are an excellent way for children and students to learn more about Parliament and democracy and it’s great to see our local schools being part of this too.