Newport schoolchildren in mini-election
They were unable to vote in the actual election, so primary school pupils took matters into their own hands and hosted a mini-election of their own.
Children in Year 6 at Tibberton C of E Primary School, in Newport, were canvassing every break and lunchtime to encourage their fellow pupils to vote.
As part of the school’s teaching on British values, they decided to host a mini-election focussing on the essence of democracy.
Sarah North, head of school and Year 6, said it was important for the children to learn about local issues and to give them the chance to pick their own party based on what was important to them.
“It was quite funny because we thought the students’ party choice would mirror their parents’ but it has not really,” she said.
“It has been very much a case of whether the parties have supported schools in their manifestos. Children who have doctors and nurses in their family have also looked at how the parties have supported the NHS.”
The idea behind the mini-election came from the children’s interest in the general election and wanting to discuss what mattered to them locally, instead of nationally.
Each child joined a party and created a local manifesto, which included topical issues such as speeding in the village, parking around school, street lighting and alternatives to power street lighting, as well as security and car parking.
Tibberton Parish Council has also been involved in the school project and invited the children to a meeting next year to see democracy in action
