Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to have this short debate today: School of Politics—Empowering the Next Generation of Active Citizens in Wales. It’s perhaps a shame that the debate has actually fallen on today’s debate, on the eve of poll of the local elections, but given today’s short debate is focusing on enabling more active participation in politics, then I think we’ll have to suck that up and let people go off and campaign.

Making sure that younger people in particular have the knowledge and confidence to feel able to actively participate in democratic politics in Wales is something that I am personally and politically passionate about. I’d like to see a greater number of the next generation in a position not only to question and better hold people like me to account, but also feel that political life could be something for them, too. Since being elected for the first time almost one year ago now, going into schools and colleges to speak to students is something that I have been heavily committed to, and also making sure that I meet with every school group from my constituency that visits the Senedd through the Assembly’s excellent outreach and education service—although, I must confess to missing one group because it was on a constituency Friday, and the outreach service were really accommodating and recorded a message for the children to explain why I wasn’t there. Then, just by coincidence, a week later, it appears the glass in my office was relatively thin and I could hear some youngsters outside saying, ‘Oh, that’s her who recorded the message for us.’ So, I surprised them by opening the office door and popping my head out and we had a good chat about their visit to the Senedd, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

When I speak to groups of younger people, I often open with words, ‘My name is Hannah Blythyn, and I’m a politician.’ That’s not some kind of bizarre confession I’m about to make, but the point that I make by opening like that is when I was their age, sitting there, they’re words that I would never have expected to have come out of my mouth, not least because the National Assembly didn’t exist then, but because public speaking wasn’t for me and politics didn’t seem like—. Whilst I was politicised by the town and the community in which I grew up, I didn’t necessarily feel that politics was for me. Politicians didn’t look, sound or even act like me, and I didn’t know where to begin, where you’d get involved or what could be a route you could get involved in. So, my message is that: if I can do it, then so can anybody else in the future. But the mystery, barriers and misconception over politics, what it is, who it’s for and who is a politician remain, and we all, in this place and outside of it, have a democratic duty to change this.

But the question really is that: where do we start? I’m pleased to see the Llywydd’s consultation on establishing a new youth parliament for Wales, launched just last week. It’s important that young people across Wales are given a national opportunity to have their voice heard and to contribute to our growing devolved democracy. But, as an Assembly Member in north-east Wales, it is of particular importance to me that any youth parliament is made accessible and participation is a realistic option for young people throughout Wales, regardless of location, background or education. As the consultation continues, I’ll be encouraging as many organisations and individuals across north Wales to have their say and to influence the potential youth parliament at an early stage. I trust colleagues will be doing the same.

A little closer to home, and a timely mention as we head to the polls in local authority elections, it was music to my ears to learn that the establishment of a youth council for Flintshire was a key election pledge of the Flintshire Labour group. This is something that will have my full and active support, and it would be interesting to see how already established youth councils across Wales and the UK work in practice, what can be learned and what can be built on, because I believe that it’s important that with youth councils and parliaments they’re not just tick-box exercises and that young people have the adequate resources and support to enable them to see actual outcomes from them.

But what really should be at the heart of this is to go back to school and begin, at a young age, to equip young people not only with the tools to actively participate in political life in Wales, but to realise the value and importance of doing so. Active citizenship in schools can encourage and empower children to see their decisions result in real change, help develop a culture of participation at an early stage by working with others in a school council environment or similar, and create the future leaders and those who hold politicians to account.

Eighteen years since the advent of our Welsh Assembly, too many people—young, old and somewhere in between—are still not clear on what exactly the Assembly does, what specific responsibilities lie here in Wales and how it works for them. So, it’s therefore more important than ever that we take steps to better educate the next generation whilst they’re still at school. As we’re aware, the Welsh Government is in the process of developing a new curriculum for schools in Wales that will put a greater emphasis on equipping young people for life. This is a real opportunity that needs to be grasped to embed programmes and action that will enable and empower our young people to become confident and more active citizens.

The third purpose outlined in the curriculum for life underlines the importance of developing ethical and informed citizens who are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities. Politics and active citizenship go hand in hand and must be an integral part of all Welsh children’s education. The question is: how can this be achieved? I know much of the role of teaching politics in schools has traditionally fallen within the PSE curriculum, which is always heavily crowded with things that need to be covered. Whilst I welcome the coverage that does happen within PSE, it’s often in a condensed period of time and I’m sure most of us would be loath to add to the workload expectations of already heavily burdened and hard-working teachers. I think, in addition to the teaching of citizenship and about devolution needing to be a standard and statutory part of the curriculum, it’s important that it’s delivered by people who not only have the expertise and experience, but also a passion for it, because it won’t work if it’s just something that is, again, a tick-box exercise to be done. It has to be delivered with a real enthusiasm and passion for the children and the young people hearing it to really embrace that and get involved and do something following it.

It is my view and that of many other people that I’ve spoken to that it does need to be a statutory part of the school curriculum in some way, but I think we need a bigger discussion, going forward, on how this can actually best work in practice. Perhaps with some aspects of this, could there be a greater and more formal role for the Assembly’s education and outreach service? And what part do school councils play? While the establishment of school councils is currently a statutory requirement, how school councils operate is not on a statutory footing. Anecdotal experience of my own tells me that when it comes to school councils, what works for one might not necessarily work for another. So, some flexibility in the range of ideas and options for encouraging active citizenship and the value of voting and participation could perhaps be needed.

Schools play a key role in creating a culture and instilling the norms of democratic society. It is in schools where active citizenship must start. In my own constituency alone, I have come across a number of innovative examples of how children and students are given the space to allow them a taste of different aspects of active citizenship. There is an inspiring group of students at Mold’s Alun School who are volunteering as part of the United Nations Foundation’s ‘Girl Up’ campaign—a campaign that engages young women to take action to support girls and young women in the developing world and places where it is often hardest to be a girl. These students are not simply a shining example of active citizenship within the walls of their own school by changing perceptions and doing their bit to break down barriers, but also beyond that by championing the cause of young women across the world.

Cornist Park County Primary School in Flint has a school ambassador scheme, with three types of ambassadors: eco ambassadors work with teachers to find new ways to be an eco-friendly school; healthy lifestyle ambassadors aim to make the school a healthier place; and entrepreneurial ambassadors carry out charity work and fundraising. All ambassadors work closely with staff to develop changes in the school, and they come together every half term to talk about progress. Children who have previously been ambassadors are involved in the selection process of new ambassadors, and the children present their ideas and visions about other prospective ambassador roles.

Last but not least is Ysgol Merllyn’s school parliament. I know that the Cabinet Secretary has met members of the current parliament during their visit to the Senedd. While much of the media and political focus is on tomorrow’s local elections and the general election on 8 June, the focus of this primary school in Bagillt will be the big day on 14 July, when pupils go to the polls in the school’s third general election. In the previous two polls, the eligibility to vote was that you had to be over the age of four and in full-time education. After a successful campaign, the nursery has been emancipated and will vote for the first time in the 2017 election. Ahead of polling day, pupils who are candidates will deliver speeches, campaign and hold hustings. On election day itself, pupils go to the ballot box, exit polls are announced, and the whole process is overseen by independent scrutineers. I look forward to playing my own part in the democratic process, and I have signed up to do an early shift in the polling station on the day. Following the election, the prime minister and deputy prime minister are announced, and the PM visits the queen—headteacher Tracy Jones—and she asks them to form a government. Ministers are then appointed, who oversee portfolios, which include sports, the environment and education. I have managed to get my hands on a copy of the minutes from a recent cabinet meeting at Ysgol Merllyn. Elected representatives recently discussed proposals for mirrors in the girls’ toilets, an art event in the autumn term and the continuation of sports during morning activities. This is an outstanding example of how teachers can facilitate the opportunity for pupils to take the lead within their schools in an innovative, fun and effective way. Ultimately, what this is doing is embedding within the children the importance of voting at an early age, at a young age, and being an active citizen. When they visited here, I did ask them why it was important to vote, expecting them to turn around and say to me, ‘Because it gives us a voice. We can have our voice heard. We can have our say.’ But one little boy did put his hand up and said, ‘Because if we don’t vote, people like Donald Trump get elected.’

Through examples and initiatives like this, pupils are being grounded in the principles of democracy and empowered from a young age. This is achieved through a fun, interactive and realistic model of real-life politics. It is important that the best examples give the children and young people the means to actually take action and see for themselves the outcomes from that. Where there are opportunities facilitated for young people to engage in citizenship and politics, the understanding of the importance of being an active citizen invariably follows. The hope is that in the future it will be these pupils who are inspired and equipped to become the leaders of tomorrow here in Wales, across the UK, and internationally. Perhaps one day the prime minister of a primary school will find themselves here as the First Minister of Wales.