This student council has something to say
Toni Cook
By Toni Cook
Earlier this year I was invited to meet Alice, Patrick, Morgan, Owen, Elizabeth, Sam and Morgan who, at the time, were Year 11 students from Fairfield High School. Within days of our meeting, the group would be finishing their school years so it seemed like an opportune time to ask the11s to reflect on their experience as a school council group, and to look forward to where life was taking them next. Seven young people committed their time to the meeting.
Here’s what we discussed…
Making change happen
A catchphrase for many young people over the last 18 months has been “because of Covid” and that phrase sits heavy in this session. The group have been denied the chance to really fulfil their roles as a council members precisely because of the pandemic and multiple lockdowns. Instead the group have looked at reforming the school council so all pupils could have a say, and that young people’s ideas can be incorporated across the school. The ideas (that came forward) included better tech and new laptops for lessons, green planting on the school premises, and more lockers. The council had already experienced roadblocks to implementing changes, such as local authority charging the school extra for additional bins as part of an improved recycling system at Fairfield.
Clearly passionate about making change happen, we talked about their own experiences and achievements that affected change.
Sam has been actively campaigning about climate change. He’s spoken at Hay Festival for two consecutive years, has personally committed to not buying plastic bottles for over a year and wants to see more people better informed about recycling. When he goes to Hereford Sixth Form College this September, he hopes to talk to the College student council about green initiatives or join it to investigate recycling strategies. Everyone in the group is passionate about environmental issues. They have all been involved in either climate change protests, boycotting products using palm oil or improving planting at Fairfield itself.
Life in rural Herefordshire
The Year 11 school council said the biggest frustrations for young people living in and around Fairfield are the condition of the roads, and transport itself.
The potholes and general disrepair are problematic enough but the bus service is “infrequent and expensive” the said. A five-mile trip from Madley into Hereford for a young person is £8.15. The group worry the cost of getting a bus to college, now they’re leaving school, will be more than £1,000 a year.
Another issue is access to local clubs and sports clubs. The group appreciate that they live in a rural and sparsely populated area, but are clear that they need more age-appropriate activities. There was also a desire to improve recycling locally. Concerns were also raised about the litter in Hereford and the traffic still being “God awful.” Young people also mentioned about the floods that affect Peterchurch where building continues to happen, insufficient planting is done and there is nowhere for the water to go. You can then be trapped in Peterchurch with flooding from both ends.
The benefits of living in Herefordshire were the great views and landscapes where “you can go up and down a mountain in a day.” The environment was highlighted as a wonderful area for sports; walking, cycling, running. The young people commented about how wonderful it was in lockdown to see so many people walking and it was also very friendly. Some local areas have a very close community where everyone knows everyone which was liked.
There is also a real a sense of tranquillity for some of the young people that “You can just listen there's no hum of traffic, no motorway just wildlife.” An appreciation of the dark skies status of Herefordshire and a place for rare plants, flowers and butterflies to thrive.
All the young people rated the quality of education of schools and particularly the Sixth Form College in Herefordshire. The animal care aspect of Fairfield school was seen as unique and what a wonderful opportunity to learn and care for animals with the potential of exploring that as a career option. The Courtyard Youth Theatre was seen as a lifeline for some of the young people particularly for getting to know young people from other schools.
The future - to stay or go?
All seven of the young people are planning to go to Hereford Sixth Form College in September with a large majority studying History. All the students felt that they would like to go to University with potential careers of helicopter pilot within the military, journalism, history, archaeology or music, languages, culture, travel and maybe the law.
When I asked the young people if they were likely to return to Herefordshire after University as an adult the answers were widespread. One saying he would never live here again, all saying that they would not come back to live in the county immediately after University but several of them saying that they might come back to the county at a point where they might want to raise a family. They commented on some have large families here and people do seem to gravitate back to the area. They also expressed their delight in growing up in the countryside and being aware that many people had never seen a cow. The real desire was to perhaps not stay here but to go and see “the different side of the coin”. There was a desire to go and live in a proper city like London, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Manchester. The group raised the fact that there was a lack of appropriate opportunities for them in the county.
When asked what changes they would make for young people with a magic wand in Herefordshire the answers included;
lower the bus prices
lower the bus prices
cheaper transport
more stuff to do
better sports clubs
recycling everywhere you go
more accessible activities
more places for teenagers
youth centres