Active citizenship at the National Assembly
As part of their work on Active citizenship, the school arranged an educational visit to the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay. The two hour visit to the Education Centre was conducted by a trained education officer who tailored the session to meet the needs of the group of 10 to 11-year-olds. After a brief interactive presentation during which the learners had a chance to use using an electronic voting system, they took part in a workshop to enhance their understanding of democratic processes and responsibilities. Learners were able to discover the answers to a range of questions during their visit for example:
- Who are my Assembly Members?
- How are they elected?
- What is the role of an AM?
- How can I get in touch?
- What are the powers of the Assembly?
- How can I have my voice heard and influence the democratic process?
Following the workshop, everyone visited the public galleries of the Senedd building, including the Senedd’s Siambr and Committee rooms. An Assembly Member was able to meet the group, answer questions and present a signed certificate to the school.
Links with the PSE framework
The visit to the National Assembly for Wales gave learners opportunities to:
Skills
- Listen carefully, question and respond to others.
- Express their views and ideas confidently through a range of appropriate methods.
- Contribute to class discussions and take part in debates.
Range
Education programmes at the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay focus on learning outcomes from the Active citizenship theme. Learners were given opportunities to understand:
- the importance of democratic decision-making.
Future plans
The young people were very impressed with the eco-friendly features of the Senedd and the school plan to use post-visit teaching resources for follow-up work in class. The school will also be able to link learning about the Assembly with school council elections. They hope to arrange a follow-up visit for the school council members during which they will be able to hold a meeting in the Siambr Fach (the former debating chamber) and will receive an audio CD of their meeting.