Why not hold a parallel general election in your class or school? After your election, First News wants to know your results.  We will aggregate all your pupils’ votes to get a wider picture of the opinions of young people in the UK. Enter pupil votes now.

What is a parallel general election? A parallel election simply means that it uses real political parties, live policies and manifestos related to real knowledge and issues. A mock election, on the other hand, can have made up parties and be based on polices and manifestos on things students decide rather than local, national and global issues.

What issues do your pupils think are most important? As well as the results of your election, First News would also like to know which issues concern young people most. Download this topical issues list to help you collect this information.

To help you run a parallel election in school there are lots of resources available from First News Education and our partners.

Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT)

i) Parallel election teaching resource

ii) Briefing for schools on teaching political education and maintaining impartiality

ii) Online CPD – Election Special, 3 Dec 4.30-5.30pm

Join an online webinar with experienced teachers for advice, tips and ideas about how to bring the election to life for pupils in your school.

EducateGE

EducateGE is a collaboration between 24 democratic organisations who have come together to support schools and educators to engage young people in the 2019 general election. At EducateGE  you can download resources to help prepare for a parallel election in school, including one-page summaries of the political parties’ manifestos. Everything on the site it free and non-partisan.

First News Education

i) How does an election work? a First News Special Report

ii) Should the voting age be lowered to 16? an Activity Sheet debate resource

iii) Political party profiles

iv) Topical issues vote

After your election

Add your pupils’ votes to the First News general election 2019 poll and the tally of issues that most concern them.