GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

down the road put forward 11 students on to the platform. So far the feedback

has been phenomenal, not just because the teachers have found it easy and

engaging to access, but also because schools are facing an issue and that is

that young people are asking and demanding to know this information, because

they know that society, there is a lot at stake, they want to be able to engage

with it and they want the information that the education system should provide

them, but is not at the moment. One example is Barnet Southgate College

which we have not actually done our programme in yet, but they gave us this

quote from the curriculum manager: “Political literacy is important in colleges

as many young people are baffled by our political system and feel disaffected.

It is something that is not routinely discussed in homes and thus needs a

platform where impartial delivery can occur. Young people need to be given

the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of our political

system and note the importance of democracy. Political literacy will enable

them to fully participate and engage in society. Importantly, it will instil

confidence and enhance individual communication skills. We need citizens that

can make informed choices and contribute to the political decision making.

Young people are our future and knowledge is power”. That could not be more

true and that came from her discussing with young people as to how they

wanted to bring in political education into their college.

Another example I wanted to bring in, because apart from working with

schools we also do a lot with NEETs, so young people that are not in

employment, education or training, as well as young people that are in the care

of the state for one reason or another. This was one example, Thurrock, where

we have actually run our political literacy course with them for five cohorts. We

are now on our sixth. The feedback from them has been amazing, the fact that

for them it is a self-selecting course. We won a programme to be a part of their

framework agreement where we were slotted in with forklift training,

hairdressing, photography and a bunch of others and we have become the

most oversubscribed course in that area. I am sure Alison and Cat would love

to know also that since we have been running our programme there I think

there were three Labour councillors elected. Before that it was UKIP Central, if

anyone knows that area, and I am not saying that there is a correlation

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