A TEAM of pupils from a Cardiff secondary school has been selected ahead of dozens of others from across the country to work with a Parliamentary committee on climate change.
Mary Immaculate High School is one of only six schools from across the UK, and the only one from Wales, whose pupils have been chosen to take part in the House of Lords’ 2024-5 Youth Engagement Programme.
The team of 12 pupils will be working with the Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee over the course of the Parliamentary year and will have the chance to contribute to one of its inquiries.
Adam Speight, Acting Assistant Headteacher and Jo Sanger, Additional Learning Needs Coordinator at Mary Immaculate, applied to the programme as part of their work with School Parliament and its eco-subcommittee.
Mrs Sanger said: “I think it’s important to broaden the pupil’s political and social awareness and help them understand their role in society and how democracy works.
“I saw this chance to work with the Lords and thought it would be a really good opportunity for the pupils.”
In a letter to the school the committee chair, Baroness Sheehan, wrote: “I am delighted to inform you that as a result of the strength of your application, your school has been selected as one of six schools across the UK to take part in the Youth Engagement Programme.
“We received a large number of applications for the programme—78 in total—so this achievement really speaks to the strength of your application.”
Later this month, Baroness Sheehan will visit Mary Immaculate to talk to the pupils about the environment and climate change issues they are passionate about, as well as to discuss the role of the House of Lords in passing laws and holding the government to account.
The Youth Engagement Programme also includes virtual sessions with committee members to discuss committee work and inquiries, the opportunity to advise the committee on what questions to ask government ministers during inquiries, and a visit to Parliament.
Mr Speight added: “It’s a real honour to be selected for the programme, especially as 78 schools applied and only six were chosen.
“The pupils are very excited because it’s something different and new. They might have heard about Parliament on the news but they don’t necessarily know what it does or how it impacts their lives. There’s a desire from them to learn more.”
The programme builds on the environmental work Mary Immaculate has done in recent years, including winning a Silver Bumblebee-friendly Schools Award last year.
The topic of the Environment and Climate Change Committee’s next inquiry has yet to be announced.
For the pilot programme in 2022, pupils contributed to an inquiry on mobilising action on climate change and the environment, and in 2023-24 they took part in a range of activities to inform the committee’s inquiry on electric vehicles.
