Citizenship has changed for year 10 pupils in New-Bridge this year. It is now taught during PD lessons by form tutors during which students focus on the topics of Crime and the Law and Democracy. As part of the course a trip to Parliament Buildings took place on Monday 14th October. Monday is a busy day for MLA’s as it is a day when they are ‘in session’. As students were waiting in the main hall, the Minister for Education, Minister for Arts, Culture and Leisure, the Minister for Agriculture and Mr Adams all walked past on the upper level, hurrying to meetings and they could see that the cameras and microphones were set up for media interviews later in the day.
Two members of the education team met the group and brought them into the committee room and explained how Parliament Buildings operate on a day to day basis and went into history of the building including how it was used during World War II.
Students were taken to the rooms for a presentation on the work of the Assembly and told who their representatives are. The tour finished with a visit to the main debating Chamber where Arlene Foster, Minister for Enterprise, was discussing new laws for Citizens Advice services and copyright laws on the internet.
Year 10 students found the visit to be a very interesting insight into a day in Stormont. .