A BARNSLEY teacher has landed a place on a Parliament-based committee which aims to get more youngsters involved in politics.
Julia Jones, who has taught at St John’s Primary in Penistone for more than a decade, was selected from 300 of her colleagues across the country to occupy a seat on the National Teachers’ Institute panel.
Participants will watch debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and learn more about the role of MPs before feeding that back to their pupils.
On Wednesday Julia, who lives in Monk Bretton, met fellow teachers and had an opportunity to quiz House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
She told the Chronicle: “I’m told more than 300 teachers applied and only 70 were successful, so it’s a huge honour and I’ve enjoyed being in London this week.
“It’s all about engaging the next generation with politics and getting them inspired - it’s an important topic and they can be decision-makers in the future.
“Barnsley has an excellent ‘Youth Council’ but we’re keen to get more people, from across the borough, involved from an early age.
“It was great to meet the school’s local MP, Miriam Cates, and have her support.
“I’m excited to get back to my school and tell the children all about it.”
Sir Lindsay said the teachers’ programme ‘offers a great opportunity for politicians and teachers to share experiences’.
“In my view, you are never too young to get involved in democracy and to make things happen - so giving teachers an insight into our world is a great way to pass that message back to the classroom,” he added.
“We also appreciate having the chance to talk to teachers about their experiences, to thank them for their hard work and to see how we can work together to get children interested in politics.”
