Coming of Age Scheme
Coming of age is a school education scheme that will take place during PSHE lessons in sixth form. The scheme involves a resource pack for teachers which helps them facilitate student activities such as debates and mock surgeries. Students will learn by doing. There is no assessment, and the only criteria for receiving a 'Coming of Age' certificate is attending the class. At the end of the scheme, students and their parents are invited to the certificate presentation where student projects will be displayed and the power of a young person to make change through their political engagement is celebrated.
Moreover, this scheme is an example of how an MPs office can innovate the process of policy creation. The creation of this scheme would work with teachers to design the content and delivery. Pilot tests of the scheme would collect feedback and the scheme would be iterated upon multiple times. This allows an MP to take evidence of trial runs to parliament to advocate for larger policy changes. We hope that this human centred approach to policy creation will create stronger policy and benefit society at large.