STUDENTS at Chadsgrove Educational Trust Specialist College in Bromsgrove were given an interactive look at local democracy when they visited the district council house at Parkside.
The seven students, along with their learning support assistants, tutors and enterprise advisor Jules Evans, were able to take part in microphone checks and mock debates as they found out more about how the council worked.
They also learned about the roles of councillors and officers.
Bromsgrove District Council chairman, Coun Sam Evans, said: “It was lovely to see the students so engaged and enthusiastic about learning how local democracy works.
“They asked thoughtful questions, weren’t afraid to get involved, and brought a brilliant energy to the mock debate.
Opportunities like this are so important in helping young people feel confident about having their voices heard.”
The visit began in the Parkside Committee Room, where the students were welcomed by the Coun Evans and they then got to meet Bromsgrove District Council leader, Coun Karen May, along with Coun Shirley Webb, Coun Sam Ammar, chief executive John Leach and monitoring officer Claire Felton for a short discussion about their roles and council meetings.
Following this, the group headed to the Parkside Suite, which had been set up ready for a full council meeting, giving students a chance to experience the chamber layout.
They got to test out how the microphones worked and enjoyed an informal mock debate run by the chairman.
The basis of the mock debate was a question students had decided: “How do you think we can make politics interesting and relatable to young adults like us?”
Jules said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to get an insight into how decisions are made locally and to see firsthand the roles councillors and officers play.
“Experiences like this really help make politics more accessible and relatable, and our students came away inspired, informed, and excited to continue learning more.”
