Judging National Youth Parliament competition
11th May 2006
Alan Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test, today takes on the role of judge in the National Youth Parliament Competition 2005-6.
Dr Whitehead will be judging entries to the National Youth Parliament Competition, organized by the Citizenship Foundation, and sponsored by Norwich Union. From over 170 schools who participated in the competition including Southampton's Cantell College, 20 schools have made it through to the shortlist, and will be judged by five panels, each consisting of six MPs.
In the competition, teams of 11-18 year olds are asked to set up their own House of Commons in their classrooms, school halls or council chambers. Taking on the roles of government, opposition, and backbench MPs, they research and debate a mock bill on a topic of their choice and make a short film of their debate. These videos are judged by MPs, with awards given to national winners and heat winners. There are also prizes for the Best Team, and also individual prizes for the Best Minister, Best Spokesperson for the Opposition, Best Speaker and Best Backbencher.
Students have the chance to address topical issues such as smoking in public places, ID cards and anti-terrorist legislation, aimed at encouraging political engagement, as well as developing key skills such as communication, enquiry, participation and responsibility.
Dr Whitehead said:
"It is really important that young people are given ample opportunities to engage in debate, and develop an understanding of the democratic process and how it affects how the country is run. This active learning competition gives them an opportunity to tackle issues that are important to their everyday lives. As an MP, I am really looking forward to seeing the entries and watching examples of young people taking on the roles of politicians and debating issues important to them."
He added: 'Cantell Maths and Computing College was awarded a Special Award for a Strong Performance from a Young Group and I want to congratulate them on this brilliant achievement.'
Cantell School: A Specialist Maths and Computing College
UK Youth Parliament
The Citizenship Foundation