Arthur Terry politics students ware ensuring their voices are heard in the corridors of power – thanks to a pioneering weekly project.
Every Tuesday students at the school – which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, take part in ‘I have a Voice’, a weekly session which aims to help them understand how to engage in political campaigning on issues that matter to them.
As a result, the students have contacted local MPs Andrew Mitchell, Jack Dromey, Michael Fabricant and Shabana Mahmood, to lobby them on issues such as diversity in education, climate change, deprivation, women’s safety and the campaign for affordable sanitary products.
Each week the Arthur Terry politics students are mentored by Rebecca Deegan, the founder of I Have A Voice, which organises national programmes showing how politics works, working with politicians from across the political spectrum to empower young people with the skills to access power and champion their causes.
Student Kanddies Riley has met Erdington MP Jack Dromey about getting more diversity into education, including featuring more black authors on the school curriculum.
She said: “I want to make sure that Black History month isn’t tarnished, to ensure that Black children know about their history as well.”
Amelia Yetton is meeting Sutton MP Andrew Mitchell to talk to him about women’s safety.
She said: “I think this is something that the UK Government can really work on, so have set up a meeting with Mr Mitchell to see what he can do to help tackle this issue.”
Courtney Prendergast is campaigning to get rid of the tax that’s put on sanitary products.
She said: “I’m currently drafting a letter to Andrew Mitchell to ask what he can do about period poverty, which effects so women and girls, and I’ve also looked at his voting record on the subject too.”
Shakara Warsamb is writing to her MP, Shabana Mahmood, about metal health.
“There are a lot of issues regarding mental health that people just don’t talk about, and I know that my MP has spoken on the subject in the past, so I want to engage with her about it,” she said.
Oliver Shamel is contacting Andrew Mitchell to discuss climate change.
He said: “I want to discuss using more sustainable resources, such as wind energy and solar panels and I want Mr Mitchell to ask a parliamentary question on the subject too.”
Danayal Sajid is campaigning on deprivation.
He said: “I know that Andrew Mitchell has been an advocate of tackling the key causes of deprivation and poverty in the past and I want to speak to him about how we can actually make that happen.”
Charles Hodgetts is focusing on prejudice in modern society.
“I think that because of the impact of COVID 19, the focus on equality may have been shifted, so I’d really like to see MPs do more real-life events to discuss prejudice, like talks in secondary schools – to raise awareness.”
Amria Sandhu is campaigning on institutional racism.
She said: “I think this is a subject which simply isn’t spoken about enough – in parliament, the only times I’ve heard racism being spoken about is when there’s been a scandal of some kind. There’s simply not enough education on it.”
Alex Masters and Oliver Robinson are working together to highlight improving social mobility for the lower working class.
Alex said: “It’s very difficult for some from a working class background to become middle class, so we thought that instead of increasing welfare benefits or other measures like that, providing free public transport that could make a big difference.”
Alex Zarifeh, event organiser at Arthur Terry, said: “Whilst we teach Politics A Level, ‘I have a voice’ has equipped our students with the skills to hold their representatives to account, to target key levers and develop a better understanding of the scope of the lobbying industry, in short, to actually do politics!”
Politics teacher Robert Gaudin said: “It’s been great to see the students get engaged in things that matter to them and putting politics into action.
“As a subject, topics like Government can seem quite dry so its great for the students to actually do something where they see how their voice can be heard and hopefully it gives them that impetus to go on and carry on engaging in politics throughout their lives.”
Rebecca Deegan, founder of I Have A Voice, said: “It is great to have an opportunity to work with such a politically engaged group of young people.
“I think too often it is assumed that young people are not concerned about the same issues as older generations, but that is absolutely not the case.
“The students at Arthur Terry worked on a whole range of issues such as reducing the cost of taking public transport to make it easier for low income households to get to school and work.
“We each have a part to play in our democratic system. It was great to see the students realise that they can create change whether that be by contacting their MP and asking them to raise a matter in Parliament, meeting with their teachers to discuss their curriculum or sharing their passion with others. Listening to the students’ speeches at the end of our time together emphasised that we have a lot to learn from young people.
“Covid has been a stark reminder that political decisions impact every single aspect of our lives. The students thought about what decisions impact their lives and the lives of their communities and created persuasive arguments on what changes they want to see to benefit themselves and others.
“We discussed many issues from climate change, to poverty, racism, inequalities in the education system and gender equality. I set up I have a voice to show people that they absolutely have a voice in these decisions and to inspire them to speak up and get involved. “The students at Arthur Terry are switched on and politically astute. I hope that they consider careers in roles that influence policymaking and political decisions.”