Media Cub mini-reporters have asked the PM to listen to their concerns and want to know why children have been left out of discussions about their future, but he has not responded.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, supports the school student campaign, Raise Your Hands, with a live Q&A on Monday 6 July.
Greater Manchester students, are leading a campaign, titled Raise Your Hands, after feeling ignored and left out of consultation about their future in the Covid-19 aftermath.
Three mini-reporters, from Woodheys Primary School in Trafford, have sent videos to Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, asking questions about the Covid-19 crisis and calling for the voices of their classmates to be heard. Johnson has yet to respond.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is showing his support to Raise Your Hands by taking part in a live Zoom Q&A with the student reporters, Sam, Aisya, and Jack, on July 6th at 11am to discuss their issues around Covid-19 and their futures.
Sam, Aisya, and Jack along with their classmates, with the backing of their headteacher, are also sharing questions on social media which tag the prime minister. They are calling for kids from across the country to join them in their campaign. Sam, one of the student reporters, aged 11, said:
“Do my opinions not count? Kids should be a part of conversations about our future.
“We made videos to send to the Prime Minister and got our friends to ask questions because we want to be heard and we are calling on all kids across the country to do the same.
“We have the support of the mayor of Greater Manchester to answer our questions. We want to get answers from the prime minister and the government to our questions, we should always be a part of big conversations – we are small – but what we think matters. And we like to lead the way in Manchester.”
As well as Burnham doing a Q&A on Monday 6 July, Media Cub reporter Sam took part in a Bureau of Investigative Journalism local Q&A crowdcast- Young People in an Uncertain World, yesterday.
Sam was joined in the crowdcast by Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, who’s spearheading the campaign for a Future Generations Bill. Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson, chair of the British Youth Council, and Sky News Correspondent, Inzamam Rashid, who recently made a programme looking at young people’s experiences of the pandemic and their hopes and fears for the future – were also in the crowdcast.
The Raise Your Hands campaign has secured a separate Q&A with the Children’s Commissioner, with the date as yet unconfirmed. Questions that the students would like to address, include:
- Why are we not being asked about our future and why are we not part of the Covid-19 conversation?
- We are aware that some schools are more privileged than others, how is this going to affect the gaps in learning, and will we all have the same opportunities?
- Why is professional football back and not cricket and rugby? When can I play football?
- Why can I not hug my Nana, but the pubs are going to open?
After school club, Media Cubs, supported the students to create the campaign. Media Cubs transforms a classroom into a newsroom where kids can create, debate, and navigate the news. The club works with kids aged 7-11 years old and includes creative challenges from photography, comic-strip making, newspaper reporting, and TV interviewing.
The club is led by mum and journalist, Kirsty Day, aged 39, from Sale. She said, “This year, we have seen kids begin to value their voices through protests about climate change and Black Lives Matter. They have raised their hands and their voice to express their opinions, and we want this to continue.
“Now, they have strong opinions and burning questions for the Prime Minister about their education, sport, the economy, and much more, and they should be heard. It is their futures after all.”
To join the live Q&A with Andy Burnham, led by the min-reporters, sign up here.
Dale Anne McAulay
For more information about the campaign go to Media Cubs website.
Media Cubs Campaign Twitter
Media Cubs Campaign Facebook
Feature image: Media Cubs
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