PROACTIVE problem-solvers have been mobilised to harness the youth of today for a ‘better tomorrow’ in a venture designed to prompt change and preserve democracy.
Against a national backdrop which is seeing up to 40 per cent of society turning away from democracy in favour of ‘chaos and authoritarianism’, students from across the Tees Valley have placed themselves at the forefront of moves to turn the tide.
Around 70 of the brightest young minds from state and independent schools across the North descended on Barnard Castle School for a day-long Democracy in Education conference supported by the RSA – the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
For more than 260 years the RSA has been spearheading social change. Its latest work seeks to take its messages into the provinces with the launch of the RSA Tees Valley Fellow Network. It joins a movement focussing on innovation, creative learning and development, public services and communities and economy, enterprise and manufacturing.
Joining them in the workshop were students from Teesdale School, Barnard Castle, Prior Pursglove, Guisborough, Hartlepool Sixth Form, New College Durham, Bede Sixth Form, Stockton, Durham School and Yarm School.
Chief Executive of the RSA Matthew Taylor, a former chief advisor on political strategy to the Prime Minister, said: “We are more pessimistic about the future than ever before and if this carries on we are in big trouble because we are becoming more amenable to authoritarianism.
“We do not trust our leaders now. We suspect that our politicians care more about their parties than the public, are unrepresentative and do not represent society as a whole. There is a large proportion of the population, bigger than you think, who just want to tear things down, who want chaos in society and if people are not part of the solution they can become part of the problem. Democracy is like a bicycle, if it doesn’t move forward it will topple.”
Deputy Head and teacher in charge of Sixth Form at Barnard Castle School David Cresswell, who has become a fellow of the RSA after speaking at its annual meeting earlier this month, said: “We came up with the idea of this event and already we have had interest from schools from Bedford, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“The aim was to come together as a community of problem-solvers, to draw out students’ ideas and turn them into action, to unite people and ideas to solve the challenges of our time and to create a world where everyone is able to participate in creating a better future.”
The schools provided six of their most energetic, driven, creative and altruistic students for the launch to develop a raft of ideas and a 90 second video that could be taken back to their peers with the theme “a Manifesto for a 21st Century Democracy”.
They heard from speakers on democracy, including a video call from Adam Cronkright, author of Putting Everyday Democracy into Practice, who works with students in Bolivia, America and Canada developing democratic thinking. Filmmaker Sophie Wardle offered advice on scripting, shooting and editing their video.
Barnard Castle School sixth former Emily Kelly, 16, of Bishop Auckland, said: “This has been a fantastic experience which has given us the chance to think and get involved with a room full of switched-on individuals.”
Students will work on a democracy action plan which will be reviewed by the Tees Valley Sixth Form Democracy Council before presenting their experiences of the programme to RSA London.
Interested schools and colleges are being urged to get in touch to join the project at sjn@barneyschool.org.uk.