As part of their Citizeship coursework campaign to lower the voting age to 16, Year 11 students recently interviewed local MP, Paul Uppal about both his personal and his Conservative party colleagues' opinions on the issue of legal voting age.
Students met with Wolverhampton MP, Paul Uppal in the school Lecture Theatre.
The students, all of whom have studied the voting process as part of their Citizenship studies, posed a number of questions to the Conservative MP including questioning the governments' decision to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance, the Building Schools for the Future programme and raising of University tuition fees, issues they felt showed discrimination against young people.
They argued that young people have no voice or representation in Parliament and a lowering of the voting age would help redress the balance. Despite their constant arguments, Mr Uppal retained the party line that votes should be kept at 18.
Year 11 students will now be stepping up their campaign to influence their peers and local community members for a change in the law.
Campaign poster created by Amber Jarrett and Beth Flannery.
Photograph: Kieran Patel, Year 11 student, with Labour Councillor for Penn Ward, Martin Waite.
Above: Students are raising awareness by displaying campaign material on our internal signage system.
Left: One student also met with a local Councillor to discuss the votes at 16 policy.
