Tag: competition

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What law would you make?

Parliament’s Education Service wants young people to tell Parliament what new law they would make by producing either a 3 minute short film, a 200-500 word script or a 5–10 frame storyboard.

Anyone between the ages of 7 – 16yrs can enter the competition either individually or as part of a group. Prizes will include a cinema voucher, a video camera for the winner’s school, a behind the scenes tour of Parliament with a chance to meet Members and a special showcasing of the winning entries at the British Film Institute!

Last year’s winners proposed laws that would make it compulsory to wear helmets when cycling and that would lower the voting age to 16. You can see their inspiring films at https://www.makewav.es/story/485967/title/lightscameraparliament2013winners

This year’s website has just launched with lots of new tips and resources for young people – and regularly updated inspiration topics and blogs. Entries can be submitted from now until the 14th of February. Find out more by visiting www.makewav.es/lcp and http://www.parliament.uk/education/in-your-school/lights-camera-parliament/

Get creative and get your voice heard!

To receive competition updates, email lcp@parliament.uk

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involver blog

Schools should humiliate kids more

At an event I attended last week the chair of Boris Johnson’s Education Inquiry, Dr Tony Sewell, repeated the claim that schools are anti-competition. This idea has become received wisdom amongst Tory politicians and supporters. It seems to come from a belief that the left have created a state education system where “all must have prizes”, to quote our Prime Minister. This just doesn’t ring true for me; I visit a lot of schools and I can’t think of a single one that doesn’t have at least some of these:

  • Sports teams competing against other schools
  • Boards celebrating successful students
  • Boards with competitions between classes, houses or year groups
  • Prize-giving in assemblies for sporting and academic achievement, attendance and punctuality
  • Challenges in class for who can score highest, finish first, show the best understanding/depth/creativity

I would challenge anyone who claims that schools are anti-competition to show me a school that actually doesn’t use and encourage competition in these ways. I would be surprised to see even one, let alone the nation-wide conspiracy to undermine competition that is implied by David Cameron, Melanie Phillips, Toby Young and Boris Johnson.

Humiliation 101Since schools do celebrate success and use competition in a variety of ways, what is it exactly that Dr Sewell et al are looking for? If it’s not about those at the top, who are celebrated, it must be about those at the bottom. Their issue must be that schools use the celebration of success as a carrot, but don’t use humiliation as a stick. Those who call schools anti-competitive should be clear and honest about what they mean, they should say loud and proud: we need more humiliation in schools.

Once they have been clear and honest about this I would like them to describe what that should look like in a classroom. People sitting in order of their last test score? The worst results being read out in assembly? Boards displaying the pictures of those who are failing, alongside those who succeed? Dunces caps? More children crying, more children cracking under the pressure?

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involver blog

Free youth group sessions and a chance to win £20 vouchers

Our Say Our Way logoWe’re currently evaluating a project called Our Say Our Way and we have two offers for you in return for helping us (and you don’t even have to know what it is to get them):

  1. Enter a draw to win one of three £20 Amazon vouchers
  2. Get a day’s free action workshops for a youth group this summer

1. Entering the draw

To enter the draw all you need to do is spend a few minutes filling out a short survey about youth and community projects. It doesn’t matter if you have loads of experience of them or none, whether or not you’ve been part of Our Say Our Way or how old you are; we’re looking for a real range of views.

The survey is here: http://www.oursay-ourway.co.uk/evaluation.htm (you enter the draw at the end)

Please pass it on to your colleagues and young people you work with.

2. Free action workshops

If you can get a group of at least ten 12 to 21 year-olds together this month, our expert trainers will run workshops for them based on the Our Say Our Way model. These will get them to:

  • Work as a team
  • Identify issues in their community
  • Work out solutions
  • Plan their actions
  • Manage a project

All participants will receive a certificate and your youth group will have a plan (or plans) for some positive action in your community.

There is only funding for two sessions, so please email asher@involver.org.uk or call Asher on 07989497491 straight away if you would like to take part.

About Our Say Our Way

Our Say Our Way is an exciting project which encourages young people to have a say on the issues that affect them.

Led by Peabody and sponsored by the Big Lottery Fund, it gives 12-21-year-olds a voice and a chance to have their say about the decisions that impact their lives and their local community. They can then make a positive difference to themselves and others around them.

Find out more and download the Toolkit here: http://www.oursay-ourway.co.uk