Level 3 Uniformed Public Services Students took part in UK Parliament Week, by welcoming Senior Education and Engagement Officer Rachael Dodgson to their lesson to hear about the UK Government system.
Rachael started the session by testing students’ knowledge of Parliament posing teasers on topics such as number of MPs, how many times a year the Monarch visits Parliament, and the name of the river next to the Parliament building.
The group then moved on to discussing their views, by organising a range of topics into order of importance to them. With topics such as economy, health, education, environment, transport, crime, diversity and equality, and housing small groups engaged in robust, yet respectful, discussion and came up with some really insightful points on their feelings on political affairs with suggestions such as more housing, focus on transport and the important of the NHS. Everyone concluded that where you live, and your life stage really affects your views on what matters most!
With further discussions surrounding democracy and how parliament works from the House of Commons to the House of Lords, students were treated to a guide to the process of government of the UK to support their studies. Many expressed surprise that you can register to vote from 16 and the class was encouraged to sign up and start the process.
Rachael Hodgson said “These sessions are about helping give young people their voices. We aim to raise awareness of the issues young people face, that MPs might not be aware of.
“I love delivering our sessions, working with a diverse range of people from across the region to show them how they can engage with UK Parliament and get their voices heard on issues that matter to them and their communities.”
Dr James Simpkin, Lecturer in Public Services added, “Rachael’s visit to explain what Parliament does was really great and helped to reinforce the British values of participating in democracy and voting.”
Applications for September are now being taken on our Public Services courses.
| Title | Level |
|---|---|
| Public Services | Level 2, Level 3 |
