Westminster was filled with lively argument this morning as pupils from Harold Wood Primary School stepped up to the dispatch box to take part in a special debating competition hosted by local MP, Julia Lopez.
The second to be hosted this year, the competition gives Havering school children the rare chance to debate inside Parliament itself, in the historic surroundings of Westminster Hall – the very heart of our democracy.
Armed with arguments and brimming with facts, pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 tackled some of the big issues of our time. The first team debated whether smartphones should be banned for children, and the second the role of renewable energy in our future – and the students didn’t shy away from the challenge.
Speaking after the event, Julia Lopez MP said:
“I’m thrilled to have hosted my second primary school debating competition here in Parliament. It’s so important to give young people opportunities to develop public speaking, confidence and critical thinking – and there’s no better place to do that than right here, where national decisions are made.
The standard of debate was outstanding. I was struck by how well the pupils had prepared, the courage they showed in speaking up and the respectful, thoughtful way they engaged with each other. It was a real credit to Harold Wood Primary, and to every student who took part.”
The event is part of the MP’s ongoing efforts to bring politics closer to young people in her constituency – helping them understand how decisions are made and giving them the confidence to make their voices heard.
For the pupils of Harold Wood Primary, it was a day to remember – a chance not just to walk through the corridors of power, but to stand up and speak in them.
