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News Release 1st March 2008CHASETOWN SPECIALIST SPORTS COLLEGE WINS SPEAKING COMPETITION OPPOSING COMPULSORY EDUCATION TO 18The team of Ethan Cruxton, Adam Woodward, and Laura Holbrook from Chasetown Specialist Sports College won the Michael Fabricant MP & Arthur Price of England Speaking Competition at the Guildhall in Lichfield last night (Friday 29th February). And Adam Woodward won The Best Individual Speech Award too. The winners were awarded cups - donated by Arthur Price of England - and have been invited by Michael Fabricant down to the House of Commons. "The standard of debate was particularly high this year" says Michael Fabricant. "The subject was compulsory education to 18. Interestingly, all four schools taking part argued strongly against this proposal. Many of the speakers said that it would cause major disruption in classes, damaging the education of those who want to work for high A level grades. On questioning by the panel of judges, several speakers said that they had discussed this with their teachers who are also against the plan. I shall be passing all this information on to Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Schools, who has devised the scheme. "I am looking forward to seeing Ethan, Adam, and Laura down at the House of Commons in the summer after their exams. Several speakers mentioned Michael Gove, the Shadow Schools Secretary of State and newspaper columnist, and I am hoping that they will have the chance to meet him when they are in Westminster. " 'Mr Speaker' this year was Sir Bernard Zissman, the former Lord Mayor of Birmingham. He told me how articulate he thought the students from Lichfield and Burntwood were. "I was proud of all four teams that took part" Michael adds.
The photograph is provided by Robert Yardley Photography www.ryphotography.com Photograph shows left to right: Cllr Terry Thomas* (Sheriff of Lichfield), Cllr Mark Warfield (Mayor of Lichfield - the Mayor was NOT a judge as he teaches in one of the schools taking part), Michael Fabricant, Laura Holbrook, Adam Woodward, Ethan Cruxton, Simon Price* (Managing Director of Arthur Price of England), Sir Bernard Zissman* ('Mr Speaker'), Cllr Mrs Norma Bacon* (Deputy Mayor of Lichfield), and Keith Eagland* (President of the Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad who help organise the contest). The asterisk denotes the five on the judging panel. |
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