Lynne Featherstone

Lib Dem education spokesperson Gail Engert joined pupils from Hornsey School for Girls as she took part in ‘take a Councillor to school’ event as part of National Local Democracy Week.

Cllr Engert attended a school council meeting where she underwent a grilling from class representatives on a range of issues from recycling to youth centre provision.

Cllr Engert, who was one of the members of Haringey Council’s Scrutiny Review on Youth Democracy, is passionate about the need to include young people and their views at every level of the Council decision making process. Amongst the recommendations put forward by the review, she particularly supports Haringey Council signing up to the ‘Hear by Rights’ advanced standards for active involvement of children and young people, the election of a Haringey member to the UK Youth Parliament, the setting up of a young people’s consultation panel and the appointment of a council officer solely responsible for developing youth democracy in partnership with young people.

She is delighted to have taken part in this event and she hopes that the pupils feel they have been given the opportunity to scrutinise the work of local councillors.

Cllr Engert comments:

“It has been a pleasure visiting the school and I am very grateful to the schools citizenship co-ordinator, Michele Lambert for organising the visit.

“I was very impressed with the quality of questioning from the representatives. It is important that young people are engaged with politics and politicians. I hope that the Council can arrange more events so young people feel that they are truly part of a democratic system.”