Our Upper School (Classes 9 and 10) is for students aged 14 to 16. In mainstream schools, this spans years 10 and 11. Our Upper School students were recently visited by Rachael Maskell MP as part of a series of careers talks.
They heard first hand about the working life of an MP, how parliament works and took part in a debate around social media, smart phones and big tech…
The students were full of questions around the subject of a social media ban for young people in the UK. They wanted to understand how the ban would be enforced, and where the balance could be found between a ban that directly affects young people, and enforcing greater responsibilities to be upheld by big tech companies. The students were also keen to emphasise their view that a social media ban wouldn’t work without the government also prioritising effective education and support for parents.The students shared their experiences of how smart phones and social media were creating tensions between parents and young people, whilst some had also seen how children are often under pressure from peer groups to have social media included as part of their social lives.York Steiner School is a smart phone free school. Students hand their phones in at the beginning of each school day, and collect them at home time. The school provides a completely screen free education for children throughout early years and primary school. The use of computers is introduced later, at the age when children would be entering secondary school. Many families at York Steiner School work to keep screen use to a minimum during their children’s free time, and as a school, we strongly advocate for limited screen time and advise against access to social media for children and young people.The class debate evolved into question time, with many questions for the York Central MP! As they will soon be eligible to vote soon, students were keen to understand the future of two-party politics, and how constituent concerns are balanced against party politics. They asked about the MP's views on the struggling cultural economy and closure of music venues in York, rising cost of living, homelessness and rejoining of the UK to the EU. It was a lively, respectful and stimulating debate, with many different perspectives shared. Well done Classes 9 and 10!To find out more about our Upper School, contact our admissions team on admissions@yorksteinerschool.org