I saw an old friend at the weekend and got very excited when I heard about her new job. I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to this absolutely brilliant project by the BBC. It’s called School Report, and Year 8 students (12/13 year olds) got the chance to make their own news and ‘broadcast’ it via the internet. Stories included interviews with Blair, Cameron and other political leaders, a boy who successfully campaigned for subsidised bus fares, and the threatened deportation of a young asylum seeker in Glasgow.

In a way, it’s like I’m a Councillor about the media, instead of local government. Of course, the media is an important part of an effective democracy. School Report is all about empowering young people, showing then that they can set the agenda and giving them a voice.

School Report’s national News Day was on March 22nd, but the project is ongoing – new schools can register and students can add content all year round. I heartily recommend getting involved to any English or Citizenship teachers reading this. They’ve got loads of lesson plans and stuff to make it easy for you.


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