WISHART URGES PUPILS TO SEIZE THE CHANCE TO BE CHANCELLOR

Published date : 14 January, 2013

Digital challenge gives young people the opportunity to contribute to Youth Budget 2013

The Scottish National Party’s Mr Pete Wishart MP, Member of Parliament for Perth & North Perthshire is supporting the launch of the ‘Chance to be Chancellor’ and is calling on all young people in his constituency to take part. Organised by the educational charity Citizenship Foundation in partnership with Aviva, Chance to be Chancellor is a part of 'Paying for It', an educational programme that provides a free range of resources to develop economic awareness amongst young people.

Chance to be Chancellor is open to all 14-18 year olds and Pete Wishart is urging students in Perth & North Perthshire to get involved. The initiative challenges participants to grapple with issues that face the Chancellor ahead of the official Budget in mid-March 2013. Students are required to learn about, and share their opinions on, a selection of possible policies detailed on the Chance to be Chancellor website.

Students can also enter a national competition by creating a short video (max 90 seconds) arguing their choices with a chance to win an iPad. All entries will be collated to produce the ‘Youth Budget’, a report launched in anticipation of the official budget to give the voters of the future a platform for their views on important economic issues.

Speaking about the competition, Mr Wishart commented:

“Chance to be Chancellor is a fantastic way of bringing the current economic challenges into schools in Perth & North Perthshire. It’s also a great opportunity for students to have their say on what they think should be included in Budget 2013.

“I encourage as many students as possible in Perth & North Perthshire to get involved and submit their ideas on how best to tackle the current economic challenges; a particularly difficult challenge in the current climate. I wish all entrants the best of luck.”

Deborah O’Malley, Community Affairs Manager, Aviva said:

“The ‘Paying for It’ programme continues to be popular with students, teachers and Aviva volunteers. Everyone enjoys the chance to learn new skills by sharing different perspectives on the economy and the world we live in. Both the teaching resources and Chance to be Chancellor act on the increasing appetite for financial education and improved economic literacy in schools. I am sure the young people involved will find it a valuable and enjoyable experience.”

Andy Thornton, Chief Executive, Citizenship Foundation said:

“It’s hugely empowering to let young people not yet old enough to vote to feed their views into the democratic process. This supports their learning and growth as equals in a fair society which they will one day inherit. Getting to have a say on Budget 2013 is a clear example of how citizenship education allows students to get under the skin of the big challenges of the day.”

Chance to be Chancellor 2013 runs until Friday 15 February 2013 and details of how to enter can be found on www.chancetobechancellor.org.uk.

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