Schoolchildren in east London have had a turn running Tower Hamlets’ council chamber for a lesson in how democracy works.

East London Advertiser: If the cap fits... two pupils dress up as the civic mayor and the council's mace-bearer. Picture source: LBTHIf the cap fits... two pupils dress up as the civic mayor and the council's mace-bearer. Picture source: LBTH (Image: LBTH)

The youngsters from five schools took over at the town hall to learn about local government with mock debates.

The big issues were how best to allocate playground funding—and taking a step back in time on whether women should be given the vote!

It seemed to have a good effect on the wouldbe politicians of tomorrow, like 10-year-old Mellina Benmerabet who enjoyed “seeing other points of view” which made her want to speak out more.

The debate gave Thaia Chowdhury, 11, a taste of how things would be in future, while . Temiloluwa Olajide, also 11, liked the other schools’ points-of-view “because they made sense”. It made Maymuna Rahman, another 11-year-old, feel “as if we were actually adults and part of the council”.

The exercise involving pupils from Bangabandhu, Culloden, St Edmund Catholic, Hermitage and Stewart Headlam primary schools, was part of Local Democracy Week.