North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has joined pupils from the philosophy club at Rodbourne Cheney Primary School to learn more about the group's activities.
After previously leading an assembly at the school, and hosting pupils from the school on a tour of Parliament, Justin was invited by the students to come in and discuss philosophy with them. The club discusses a wide range of issues from politics to the environment. During the visit, the group's debate motion covered food security.
Justin fielded questions from the pupils on what his job was like, how he represents them in Parliament, and what steps the Government taking to combat climate change. The pupils were particularly please when Justin explained that solar panels produce almost 100% of Swindon’s energy demands, highlighting one of the many ways locally that towns can reduce emissions.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “I really enjoyed meeting the talented pupils at Rodbourne Cheney School's Philosophy Club. The visit to the school was really interesting for me, and it was so great to see pupils enthusiastic about issues like climate change and how the world affects them.”
Joining Justin on the visit to Rodbourne Cheney Primary School was Lewis Gibson, who was undertaking work experience with Justin. He has written his account of the visit:
The visit to the Rodbourne Cheney Primary School’s Philosophy Club was an opportunity for the children to meet their MP and ask questions about politics and philosophy, but also what an MP does in both Parliament and the local community.
The children had some questions written down on slips of paper, but most of the questions were asked spontaneously. There were many questions, like “How can we stop pollution?”, “What job would you have if you weren’t an MP?”, “What do you like best about being an MP?”, and “What animal would you rather rule the world?” (The answer to this one was the Japanese Macaque). Justin also asked the students questions.
It was clear to see that the children enjoyed both the Philosophy Club and the chance to talk to Justin. They were engaged and interested throughout the whole visit. There was a lot of discussion around the answers Justin gave to the questions, with all of the pupils participating and giving their view. A lengthy discussion was given to which type of biscuit is the best, with the two main sides forming around custard creams and rich tea biscuits, both of which were served. This topic was a contentious issue, but was discussed with all due civility.
It was good to see how engaged in politics the students were, even at a young age. This highlights the importance on the national level of children being aware of what is happening in the world, and being engaged with local issues.
