Coatbridge High pupils visit Westminster

Oct 14 2009 by Ian Bunting, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

LONDON was calling to senior Coatbridge High School pupils from the Social Subjects’ department after they spent two days visiting the bustling city.

One of the key events of the trip was a guided tour around the Houses of Parliament, where pupils were given access to the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Hall.

Before the trip, Coatbridge MP Tom Clarke visited the students, from S5 and S6, at the school’s library to give them a brief insight of what to expect when they visited the Houses of Parliament.

With the Parliament being in summer recess, Mr Clarke found the time to go to the school to share his own experiences as an MP, and to highlight some of the benefits of visiting the oldest surviving parliamentary system in the world to pupils.

Mr Clarke added: “After their visit to London, the young people of Coatbridge High School came back with a much better understanding of the United Kingdom’s parliament and our own system of democracy.

“This is an important thing for the young people, especially when a proposal to lower the voting age to 16 is currently being debated in parliament.”

The trip also allowed pupils to sample some of the traditional tourist delights, such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Covent Garden and take in the latest West End sell-out show ‘Wicked.’

Social subjects teacher, and trip organiser, Mrs Karen Dunion thought the trip to London had been a huge success, with the pupils being a huge credit to themselves and the school.

She said: “Each pupil has now broadened their horizons by bringing a new dimension to their educational experience, not only in understanding the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system, but also in developing and building their confidence as young citizens and improving their life skills.”

“It was a very successful trip.”