COLUMN: General election has put politics on school agenda

The announcement of a General Election may have taken the country by surprise but it has given us a great chance to teach students about politics by organising our own mock elections.

Having also held our own EU referendum last year, we will send our students back to the ballot box on June 8, once they have nominated candidates, questioned them about their policies and weighed up the pros and cons.

Many young people aren’t interested in politics, but I have been approached by many students down the years wanting to know more.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our year nines are learning about politics in their PHSE lessons and undoubtedly there will be students keen to stand as candidates and canvass peers for votes.

We will be getting them to represent Westminster’s real-life parties using their real-life policies, a situation which some schools might shy away from in case it stirs up questionable opinions or attitudes. I understand that completely, but I believe that people should be able to express their opinions.

That way, they can be encouraged to examine their views, any misinformation can be rectified and they can explore other points of view.

That said, we will ask our candidates to outline their policies first and advise them on what they should avoid in case they cause offence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is a well-known fact that the young are under-represented amongst the active electorate and it may be because they are not aware of the issues, are turned off by politics or are simply afraid to step into a polling station because they don’t know what to do.

Politics was always a part of our family discussions so it is something I am interested in, but even if someone says they are not going to vote, I believe that decision should be an informed choice.

School is a good place for young people to get more informed, which is why I am looking forward to seeing our candidates – and intrigued about the outcome itself.