The FIrst News Debate
Wednesday 26th March 2014, 10.15am – 4.30pm at the Houses of Parliament.
First News would like to invite ten subscribing primary and secondary schools to the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 26th March to join The First News Debate.
The event will bring together school pupils from around the country and give them the chance to put a panel of politicians on the spot with issues that matter to them. Each school can bring four pupils, who will all receive a tour around Parliament and take part in a democracy workshop run by the Parliament Education Team. They will then head to Speaker’s House for the debate itself, chaired by the House of Commons Speaker, MP John Bercow.
To be in with a chance of winning one of the school places, pupils will need to come up with two questions that they would like to put to politicians. They can be about any area of interest, that children think will be of interest to the other school pupils attending the event. It could be about the environment, energy, education, transport, jobs, education, politics, international relations, defence. We would also like your pupils to tell us why their school should be one of the ten invited to participate.
Click on the link below to download a pupil entry form. Closing date for entries is Monday 3rd March. Winning schools will be informed by Wednesday 5th March.
A set of questions from ones proposed by the winning schools will be chosen for the debate on 26th March. We will inform the attending schools of the questions in advance, so students can research topics and be ready to contribute their thoughts and opinions to the debate.
Please email this form to [email protected] with First News Debate in the heading, or post it to The First News Debate, Third Floor, Colechurch House, 1 London Bridge Walk, London SE1 2SX.
Please note that:
i) Schools are responsible for their own travel arrangements and costs. However subsidies are available from Parliament. More details can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/education/visit-parliament-with-your-school/faqs-and-subsidy/transport-subsidy/transport-subsidy-terms-and-conditions/
ii) As MPs and the Lords will be sitting on the day of the tour, there will not be full access to the chambers during the tour.