Ben, Robin, Abrielle and Charlie-May from Year 5 at St. Francis’ Junior School, visited Durham County Hall with Mrs Hilder to participate in ‘The Big Debate!’.
The children started the day by enjoying a delicious breakfast of pastries and a fresh fruit platter kindly provided by the Youth Parliament. The children then ventured inside the debating chambers to argue their point of view on the following topics:
1. Year 6 SATS results
should be the only
thing used to assess children’s progress
2. Every child should be entitled to free school meals
3. Public transport should be free to access for under 16’s
4. There should be children and teenagers in government
5. The voting age should be lowered to 16
6. All 10-year olds should have access to social media
7. Should children be able to buy vapes over the counter in shops
from the age of 14
The children spent time arguing their points for and against the topics. The children demonstrated bravery and resilience, by overcoming their nerves and standing up and sharing their voice! We are so proud of them as they have worked very hard over the last few weeks preparing for this event.
