Informing the voices of the future – distinguished line up for question time at the Assembly

Over 100 teachers and Year 12 pupils from Welsh schools will take part in a two-day conference at the Assembly on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 February.

Under the guidance of AMs, pupils will facilitate their own ‘create a youth manifesto’ workshops – where they will be divided into four ‘parties’ and present their manifestos in a Dragon’s Den format to two experts who will grill them on their policies.

The A Level Government and Politics students will also take part in a question time session, hosted by Vaughan Roderick from the BBC.

Talks given by Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas and Leighton Andrews AM, Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning, will also inform pupils on how the Assembly represents, legislates and scrutinises as well as teaching them about the political parties in Wales.

Other speakers at the conference include Dr Alison George from the WJEC, Professor Laura McAllister from the University of Liverpool, and Richard Wyn Jones from the Wales Governance Centre.

Presiding Officer for the National Assembly, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas said: “This conference forms part of an ongoing drive to engage youngsters in the democratic process, a priority for devolution to prosper in the future.

“I look forward to meeting the pupils and I hope that they leave inspired to take part in the democratic process in the future.”

Alison George, of the WJEC said: “Conferences are always a worthwhile opportunity for students to enjoy a wider range of experiences than that offered by one teacher in a classroom as they are invaluable in promoting motivation and enhancing achievement in the A level course.

“This is even more valid when holding conferences for students of Government and Politics at the National Assembly as students can gain insight into political life and how politics affects everyday life including work, careers, education, services, and so forth. I hope that the experiences gained by this two-day conference will have a lasting impact on every student. “